


Two Mermaid Stories

by NickelModelTales



Category: Original Work
Genre: Dubious Morality, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Hypnotism, Mermaids, Period-Typical Sexism, Porn With Plot, Shameless Smut, fisherman, scientist, trickery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-19 01:14:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22469506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NickelModelTales/pseuds/NickelModelTales
Summary: Two stories where a man hypnotizes a mermaid for sex
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	1. Introduction

_**So don’t ask me why, but I had an urge to write a “man hypnotizes a mermaid” story. In my writing process, I like to start with an initial premise, then kick around ideas. The biggest decisions, like character design, setting, and themes, must be selected right away. Then, once I like my initial choices, I start filling in all the other details. The decisions become smaller but much more numerous as I go along.** _

_**But something weird happened with the “man/mermaid” premise. For the life of me, I couldn’t decide who the hypnotist man was going to be. I kept bouncing between (A) a common fisherman, from long ago, or, (B) a scientist, who is astounded to find mermaids in a modern, mechanized world.** _

_**Eventually, I decided to heck with it, and I started to write both the (A) and (B) stories. My expectation was that one version would make it to a final draft, while the other would sputter and die in childbirth.** _

_**And to my surprise, both stories went the distance, making it all the way through the revision process and everything. That’s a first for me. I probably should pick the better of the two stories and only post that one. But it occurred to me that these smutty little twins are a really** _ _**good example of how one simple decision at the start of the plotting process can push a narrative in different directions. Besides, I kinda feel that if a story makes it all the way through my plotting/writing/editing gauntlet, then its kind of fought its way to life. I can respect such a scrappy resilience.** _

_**The stories are:** _

  * _**“All Others Be Damned.” The fisherman’s tale. (Three chapters, plus an epilogue) For what its worth, I feel this is the better story.**_
  * _**“Omnia Scientia Masters.” The scientist’s tale. (Three chapters)**_




	2. All Others Be Damned, Chapter 1:  Horgar Island

**_The Kingdom of Aksum, Somewhere in the Red Sea_ **

**_Springtime, 857 AD_ **

The little fishing ship crashed through the choppy waters. Harun strained to unfold the heavy nets. The boat lurched over yet another wave, and the young fisherman was covered from head to toe in sea spray.

The lad paused to glare at the ocean. They were sailing close to a dark, forest-covered island, and there were many sharp rocks scattered about in the water. Harun scowled.

“Hey!” he shouted to his friend, Baibars, who was working the tiller. “Watch where you’re going, eh?”

“Shaddup,” Baibars yelled back. “I know what I’m doin’.”

The two fishermen were barely men. Harun was a handsome seventeen, with a strong back, arms, and legs. He had long, thick brown hair, which tumbled all the way down to his shoulders. Young ladies liked his hair, so Harun had permitted it to grow.

His friend, Baibars, was eighteen, one whole year older. Baibars was physically smaller, with a wiry frame and a bit of a pot belly. He sported a thin beard and moustache, in a dubious effort to look wiser than he really was. Baibars had spent more years at sea than Harun. He also owned the boat, which made him feel free to be as bossy as he liked while out on the water.

Harun flinched as a particularly large rock passed by the ship.

“You’re gonna get us marooned!” the younger lad bellowed, moving to his friend. He jabbed his long finger across the water, at the island. “You see that drop of land? That’s **_Horgar Island_** , mate! The evilest spot of land in the world. Old Trusker says that’s where Graknor the Sea Witch drags sailors back to her cave… and eats them.”

Baibars rolled his eyes. “Old Trusker’s been knocked on his head once too often, mate.”

“Listen,” Harun protested, “I’m telling you, these waters are cursed. They say around here is where Prince Habnor’s yacht was-“

“Aw, blow it out your ass,” said Baibars with exasperation. “ ** _This_** is where the fish are. Can’t you see ‘em? We could spend an hour here pulling in a record catch, or ten hours on the open sea and catch nothing.” He scanned the ocean. ”Which sounds better?”

Harun protested, “Yeah, but-“

Suddenly, Baibars’ eyes bugged from their sockets. His mouth dropped open in wonder.

Harun turned to follow the older boy’s gaze.

There, out in the water, was a row of beautiful women, somehow bobbing in the waves! Perhaps ten **_incredibly_** beautiful women, each with a different shade of hair. The ladies swam not ten paces from the boat, smiling and waving at the two fishermen. Harun could see their dazzling eyes, high cheekbones, red lips, thin noses, and graceful, slender necks. The women were laughing, as if delighted to see the sailors. They were nude, and the boys caught the barest glimpses of their exposed bodies from the waists up.

How were these women swimming, all the way out here, so far from the nearest port? And what made them so lovely? Stunned, Harun could only stare in awe.

The women laughed again, and their voices were positively musical.

“Ye gods…!” Baibars exclaimed, grinning.

Then, the most beautiful of the women swam closer to the little ship. She had long, thick hair of shining gold. Harun briefly wondered if her hair was made from pure sunlight, because it glowed so brightly against the sea. The woman’s deep blue eyes flashed as she smiled.

As the fishermen watched, utterly transfixed, the golden-haired woman rolled over in the waves. Now, she was lying on her back, revealing her bare chest and smooth and shining stomach. Her naked breasts, Harun saw, were round and supple.

The woman’s smile melted and her face adopted an expression of erotic rapture. _I want you_ , her mouth seemed to say to Harun. _Make love to me._ She blew a kiss, a mere pucker of her lips.

Then, taking her time, she deliberately, she ran her hands over her breasts, lifting one up slowly. Her graceful tongue appeared at her lips, and she bent forward. She was licking her own nipple!

“By…” Baibars exclaimed.

Without warning, the ship lurched, **_badly_** , and the horrible sound of cracking timbers filled the air! Harun and Baibars were tossed off their feet. They’d steered into the rocks!

The young women burst out into cruel and mocking laughter. Out of the corner of his eye, Harun saw them flip back into the water, and disappear.

Baibars was pulling at the tiller, but it was too late. The little fishing vessel broke in half, flinging splinters in all directions. The deck flipped upside-down, and suddenly Harun was thrust headfirst into cold sea.

*** *** ***

The next few moments were a nightmare of fear and desperation for Harun. He was a fair swimmer, but the currents around these rocks was strong and treacherous. Salt water stung his eyes. His unprepared lungs wheezed in desperation. He was perhaps seven feet under the dark water’s surface. His body was tossed in different directions, sometimes against the flat sides of the rocks.

Harun kicked and flailed. Which way was the island? He thought he knew. He swam.

Then, just when Harun thought he couldn’t survive, his toes touched sand on the bottom! The island was just ahead!

With what little strength he had left, the young fisherman kicked, crawled, and clawed his way out of the ocean, and up onto the beach. The dark sand beneath him felt smooth and almost comfortable. All of his limbs were aching. Harun fought his way out of the water, then collapsed. He did nothing but gasp for air.

*** *** ***

After a few minutes, Harun forced himself up into a kneeling position. Afraid, he glanced about.

The beach was wide, and littered with small stones. To his left, there was a shelf of smooth, wet rock, protruding out of the ocean.

As he scanned the waves, Harun spotted few shattered timbers and reeds, plus some patches of sail washing up onto the sands. This was all that remained of his fishing boat.

Harun craned his neck. The beach was empty; he could see no-one else. He was alone.

Baibars was gone.

Nonetheless, Harun turned to the sea, hopefully searching the rocks. Perhaps his friend was on one of the bigger stones…?

No. No, there was no sign of anyone else.

Despair bit at the boy. He knew: it had been a miracle he’d made it to the shore. Baibars had not been so lucky.

The sea-breeze picked up, rustling the island grasses. Harun turned to the land beyond the beach. The island itself wasn’t very large, boasting a modest forest of palm trees, ferns, and grass. To the north, there was a small mountain, little more than a sharply-rising hill. He saw no birds, and that was a bad sign. It meant that the little landmass was too small to support animals, but he was too far out to sea for a winged creature to fly back to the mainland.

With difficulty, the fisherman pushed himself onto his feet. His bruised muscles trembled.

As he rose, the boy’s simple breeches, little more than a loincloth, came apart. While he had been tossed about in the water, the cloth must have caught on a jagged rock and was now badly torn. It had been a miracle that his flesh was not punctured! The sopping rag was now useless as a garment. As Harun climbed to his feet, it tore a little more, then fell away completely. He was naked.

Behind him, a gale of harsh female laughter burst into the air!

Startled, Harun whirled about.

Now, lounging about on the shelf of rock, were the beautiful women from the sea! Harun had not heard them approaching; they must have arrived within the blink of an eye. The ladies – there were perhaps a dozen of them – were lying on their backs, their sides, their stomachs, sunning their sleek bodies in the hot sun. Their beautiful faces were pointed toward Harun, and they laughed cruelly at his stunned expression.

As the women chortled and sneered, Harun saw that they were naked from the waist up. But from the waist down, they wore… no, they **_had_** the greenish-silver tails of fish!

**_Mermaids!_ **

Harun’s jaw dropped open, prompting even more wicked chuckles from the lovely she-creatures. Each mermaid was beautiful, **_absolutely beautiful_** , the most gorgeous women Harun had ever seen. Gazing upon these lovely beings was not unlike appreciating a garden of the most exquisite flowers, and finding oneself unable to stop marveling at the delicate, physical perfection. Queens and goddesses would kill for a fraction of the sea-maidens’ radiance.

But the beauty of two mermaids in particular stood out. The first was the voluptuous, golden-haired woman, the **_same woman_** who has distracted the boys as their ship sailed into disaster. Now, she sat tall and proud, regarding Harun with a coy, tight smile. There was something about her bearing that suggested she was the mermaids’ leader; perhaps it was the way she held her head so high. Or perhaps her condescending glare. Or the fire in her deep blue eyes.

To the right of the golden-haired queen was a smaller mermaid, no less spectacular to the eye. This woman had raven-black hair, so long that it draped down her all of her back and then curled around her tiny waist. She had emerald green eyes and dark red lips, the color of blood. Unlike her sisters, she was not laughing, but regarded Harun with an icy silence.

As the fisherman gawked, another mermaid with thick, curly orange hair mocked, “Poor man-child! Can’t swim home?”

And at this, the mermaids doubled over in cruel guffaws.

Two emotions gripped Harun in that moment. The first was rage; sheer, towering, seething rage. These horrible vixens had caused the shipwreck – and poor Baibars’ death – **_for fun_**. They inflicted misery as a sport. For all that they had taken from him, Harun wanted to grab each mermaid by the throat and **_squeeze_**.

But at the same time, the young fisherman was not a fool. There was no way he could escape this island on his own. As hideous a thought it was… the mermaids were his only hope of escape.

*** *** ***

What did he know about mermaids? Harun quickly searched through his memory. As a boy, he’d heard bedtime stories, the fairy tales about mermaids. But as a sailor, he’d known too many old sea-hands who had actually seen the infamous maidens of the sea.

“Oh, mermaids are beautiful, more beautiful than the day,” Old Trusker had once told Harun, over a shared bottle of Arak. “But d’you know the **_most important thing_** about mermaids, boy? They are hopelessly selfish and vain creatures. They care only for themselves, never one another.”

The old sailor took a deep swig from the bottle, and his eyes became unfocused. ” _All Others Be Damned_ , that’s the mermaids’ motto.” He shook his head. “Many a foolish sailor thought a mermaid loved him. But mark my words, if a mermaid is interested in you, its because she can exploit you. There’s no real love from such a creature.”

*** *** ***

 _Selfish and vain,_ Harun repeated to himself. Maybe he could use that.

So, trembling, Harun swallowed his anger. This was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. Then, he held up his hands, imploring for silence.

The mermaids allowed their laughter die off.

“Fair and beautiful Goddesses of the Sea,” the fisherman said regally, hoping he sounded contrite. “I am Harun, but a humble tradesman. I beg you to forgive me for any of my offenses. I am your humble servant.” And then – clenching his teeth – he bowed deeply in reverence.

The mermaids giggled amongst themselves, but this was not amused nor innocent laughter. No, they were still in a vindictive mood.

“I beg you ladies,” Harun declared, thinking quickly, “I come from the Kingdom of Aksum, across the sea. There, I am the… chief servant of Queen Natani, she who is the wife of our most wise ruler. Queen Natani is renowned for her-“

“I thought you said you were a tradesman,” interrupted the black-haired, green-eyed mermaid, her eyes cold.

 _Alqarf!_ Harun swore to himself.

“Oh, I am, I am, my Lady,” the fisherman assured her. “Er, in my country, the servants of the nobility are considered the highest tradesmen of all.”

At this, the black-haired mermaid frowned, but she did not argue.

“Queen Natani is renowned for her beauty,” Harun went on, “but this is because she wears the Tiara of Diamond Stars whenever she is among the people. The tiara makes an ordinary woman seem like a goddess of desire to all who look upon her.”

At this, the mermaids’ cruel smirks began to fade.

“Oh, when my queen puts on that tiara,” said Harun, laying on the drama, “it is as if none can behold her without falling in love! She is so lovely, so wonderfully perfect! I, myself, must avert my eyes… lest I lose my heart to her.”

With relish, he added, “That tiara magnifies her ordinary beauty more than a hundredfold. On one of you ladies… well, I hardly dare imagine the potency.”

More than one of mermaids gazed at the young lad with greed in their eyes.

“Of course,” said Harun quickly, “none of you ladies would need such a powerful enchantment.”

“He’s **_lying!_** ” spat an orange-haired mermaid with rosy cheeks. She turned to her fellow sea-maidens. “The mortals couldn’t have such a-“

“You forget your place, Sunai,” snapped the regal mermaid with golden hair. “There used to be such magical treasures, not so long ago.” She looked thoughtful. To Harun, she commanded, “Describe this tiara.”

Drawing from his imagination, the fisherman simply began talking. “Well, the tiara has… a thousand diamonds,” he invented. “Each brighter than a nighttime star. And set into a base of silver. When the queen is not wearing it, we must cover it with a special shroud, then lock it into an iron chest. Only four servants, myself included, know where that chest is hidden.”

“Once,” Harun went on, letting his voice grow excited, “Aksum was to be invaded by the Sultan of Panuche. Oh, the sultan sent his army of **_ten thousand men_** to our city walls! But my queen simply put on the Tiara of Diamond Stars and walked right through the enemy lines. She went straight to the sultan’s tent, where he could not resist her loveliness. Now, he is her devoted slave, and will never raise arms against us again.”

Were the mermaids swallowing his story? Inside, Harun prayed so. He was a good storyteller, and the women were watching him with rapt attention. More than one were eyeing him with calculating expressions.

“Princess Aglaia,” said the black-haired mermaid suddenly, “I think we can agree that this poor mortal has suffered enough? I think I should take him back to his kingdom.”

The other mermaids threw dark glances at her.

The regal golden-haired mermaid, who could only be Princess Aglaia, broke into a sweet smile. “No, no, dear Thalia,” she replied. “After all, I was the one who distracted the poor man and his friend. I should make amends and send him home, no?”

“But-“ said Thalia.

“ ** _Silence!_** ” barked the princess, her eyes cold. All the other mermaids went pale.

Aglaia smiled once more, training her crystal blue eyes on Harun. “Come, poor man,” she said warmly, and she extended her hand.

*** *** ***

Soon, Harun found himself following the princess into the sea. The water was already waist-high. Somehow, the mermaid was able to propel herself along on her tail without much effort; Harun had to brace himself against the waves.

“This is a good starting place,” Aglaia said brightly. “Are you ready?”

“Uh…” said Harun, nervous. “You’re going to take me back to my kingdom?”

 _How?_ he wondered. Would he ride on the princess’ back? That seemed unlikely.

“Just take my hand, silly,” teased the mermaid. She extended her own small hand. After a slight hesitation, Harun accepted. He was impressed at how warm and soft her skin felt.

“Off we go,” the princess announced cheerfully, then kicked the water with her tail.

Harun was amazed as both he and Aglaia shot across the ocean like dolphins. The princess swam effortlessly, leaping and skipping over the waves. Her speed was incredible. Harun simply held her hand, and some magic kept him exactly at her side. Somehow, he could breathe easily and see in all directions. The sea felt warm and delightful.

“How… how are you **_doing_** this?” he gasped.

Aglaia laughed coldly. “Oh, this is old mermaid magic,” she said. “We have many such powers.”

Harun’s amazement doubled; he could hear the princess as easily as if the two were conversing on dry land.

“But of course,” Aglaia remarked, “your Tiara of Diamonds sound like powerful magic, too. I would have thought that you should be used to such magic.”

She began to slow down.

“Yes, er…” said Harun. “Its just that I’ve never seen mermaids before.”

“Tell me again: How does this tiara work?” The mermaid’s voice was not so kindly now.

“My queen, well, she just puts it on,” Harun lied. He glanced over his shoulder. The island was the thinnest strip of green, right on the horizon. He and Aglaia were in the middle of the sea.

“She just puts it on,” mocked the princess, her eyes no longer smiling. “And then, she becomes the most beautiful woman in the world, eh?”

“Yes!” replied Harun. “Yes, exactly!”

Aglaia made a disgusted sound. “You must think me quite the fool, don’t you, mortal?”

She stopped swimming entirely. With alarm, Harun felt the water around him grow cold and heavy. The mermaid magic was fading.

“But its all true!” promised the young man, clutching Aglaia’s hand tighter. “I, uh, I will show you-“

“ ** _Please_** ,” taunted Aglaia, and now her smile was harsh. “Oh, you might have fooled some of my ladies, mortal, but I can see lies. You are Harun, a common fisherman and scoundrel. You’ve never seen a queen in your miserable life.” She laughed, cruelly. “Oh, you have a talented imagination, I’ll grant you that. And I’m tempted to let you live, just so you might regal me with your entertaining lies.”

Harun felt his body sinking into the water. He couldn’t swim. Panicking, he gripped the princess’s hand. “Please!” he begged. “Please, I’ll… I’ll tell you whatever you wish!”

“Oh, I know you will,” Aglaia replied. “But… eh, I think it would be much more fun to watch you drown. Just like I drowned your wretched friend, Baibars.”

And with that, the mermaid shoved Harun with an impressive strength. Caught off-guard, the poor fisherman dropped beneath the waves. He plunged straight down. Cold water bit his naked skin, and his lungs cried for air.

As he desperately thrashed about, Harun sensed his tormentor swim past him. Her hands seized his ankles, and with horror, Harun felt himself pulled down, down, down into the dark water. He screamed.

His chest was about to burst. A hideous smothering feeling gripped him. As the life was choked out of him, Harun watched in dismay as the world about him grew very dark.

The last thing he heard was Aglaia’s cruel laughter.

*** *** ***


	3. All Others Be Damned, Chapter 2:  The Sea-Opal

Harun’s thoughts awoke with a start!

He choked, then gasped, desperately filling his lungs with air. His body ached. His muscles were stiff. He was lying on his side, and there was something wet and course supporting his body. He was cold.

The sounds of the ocean murmured nearby.

The fisherman coughed violently, then dared to open his eyes. This simple action seemed to take forever.

To his shock, Harun saw the beach of the island, stretching out before him. He was lying on the sand, his naked body slowly drying in the sun. At his feet, the surf gently lapped the shore.

Harun groaned.

The last thing he remembered… _Princess Aglaia slapping his chest with her mighty tail, then swimming away. He was left alone to die on the bottom of the ocean. It was cold and dark and he couldn’t see or breathe… He’d thrashed about, terrified… Then, he thought he saw small hands, reaching for him…_

_Then nothing._

Harun shuddered. Aglaia’s laughter still rang in his ears.

But now, the fisherman’s heart was beating at a normal rate. He was safe. He was freezing, exhausted, battered, and reeling from escaping his fate… but he was safe. The boy wanted to both vomit and weep in joy.

Clawing at the sand, Harun forced himself up, and then knelt. Trembling and feebly brushing the wet sand from his body, he looked about.

This was the same beach he remembered. Over there were the shelf of rocks where he’d encountered the mermaids. Now, the wet stones were empty. It was only him, the sea, and…

Harun jumped in alarm. There, to his right, **_sat one of the mermaids!_** Thalia, the maiden with raven-black hair, was sitting on the beach, perhaps five feet away. Her long, silver-green tail lay where the waves could gently wash over her. The mermaid was watching Harun carefully, her expression guarded.

At the sight of one of Aglaia’s people, Harun flew into a rage. He couldn’t help it.

“You!” he snarled, and lunged for the sea-maiden.

But his exhausted limbs betrayed him. The fisherman toppled to the sand. He thrashed about weakly, cursing his luck.

“Well now,” Thalia said curtly. “That’s no way to thank your rescuer.”

“ _Allaenat ealayk!_ ” Harun snarled, still struggling to climb to his feet.

“Come, come, now,” clucked Thalia. “You’re in no condition to fight, mortal. Why not hear what I have to say?” She paused. “Do you want to get off this island?”

Harun lay back, partly from exhaustion, partly because there was an earnestness to the beautiful mermaid’s voice.

He fixed Thalia in an accusing stare. “Why… why should I trust you?” he rasped.

Thalia scooted her body across the sand in a strangely ladylike way. She came to a rest directly beside Harun and looked down upon him with what was almost pity in her green eyes.

“Listen to what I have to say, then decide,” she suggested.

Harun glared up at the mermaid, still furious. Yet he saw no other choice.

Thalia shrugged, then began spinning her hands, one over the other. As she did this, she said, “Aglaia is our princess, you understand? I don’t know how human affairs work, but among my people, a reigning prince or princess has absolute control over their people. This is not a custom, you understand. There is powerful magic a monarch has over her subjects. We obey her because we **_must_** obey her.”

The mermaid’s voice grew sad. “And Aglaia is a cruel mistress. You’ve tasted that, I know. She cares only for her own amusements, and thinks nothing – **_nothing_** – of those of us under her rule. She would order our deaths, if she was bored enough and thought it might be enjoyable to watch.”

As Thalia spoke, a strange mist began forming between her two spinning palms. Harun watched in amazement was the mist gathered, then formed itself into a small, wooden bowl.

“Here,” Thalia said haughtily, and she lowered the bowl to Harun’s mouth. “Drink.”

The fisherman wanted to ask questions, but his rescuer slipped her hand behind his skull, guiding his lips to the bowl. Inside the drinking-vessel, he could see a bright sky blue liquid, slightly thick. He could smell the pleasant scent of crushed blossoms.

“Drink,” repeated Thalia, gently but firmly.

She tilted the bowl, and suddenly a wonderous elixir was on Harun’s tongue. The liquid tasted sweet, like berries and honey. Surprised, then grateful, Harun swallowed, then lapped in more.

“Good,” smiled the mermaid. “This is sea-drought. It heals even the sickest of bodies.”

As he drank, Harun felt his exhaustion fading. His strength was returning! Suddenly, he had perfect control over his arm and legs. He tried to sit up, while still drinking.

“No, no, no – rest a little more,” Thalia urged, still pouring the liquid. The bowl was small, yet seemed to have no end to the fabulous nectar. Harun gulped down more.

Then – perhaps after two full minutes of drinking – the fisherman had had his fill. He raised one hand, and Thalia quickly set the bowl aside. It turned into mist and then disappeared the moment she set it onto the sand.

“That… that was…” Harun exclaimed, still catching his breath. “How did you…?”

“Shh…” Thalia implored him. “I’m a creature of magic, mortal. Your strength will completely return in a few moments. Rest now, and let the enchantment work.”

The young fisherman lay back in the sand, studying the mermaid with a new appreciation. “Why are you helping me?” he said pointedly.

Thalia flashed her green eyes. “You want off this island,” she said. “And I want my people to be rid of Aglaia. We can help each other.”

Harun was not expecting this. He exclaimed, “You want me to murder your princess?”

“Shhhh, not so loud!” fretted Thalia, quickly scanning the beach and the sea.

The thought of killing Aglaia did have appeal. The golden-haired mermaid was responsible for Baibars’ death, after all. And even once Harun returned to Aksum – if he ever did return to Aksum – the lad now had no fishing boat, no nets, nothing with which to make his livelihood. He didn’t relish the thought of begging in the streets.

One problem at a time. “I could do it,” Harun grinned, stretching in the sand. “Killing that bitch would be a pleasure.”

The raven-haired beauty frowned. “Don’t be a fool. Aglaia is a princess of mermaids. She commands tremendous magic. She’d easily detect you coming. And she would ensure that you would suffer terribly before you died.”

Harun allowed his smirk to fade. “There must be a way to kill her,” he insisted.

“Not by you,” Thalia replied with a patronizing look. “And I didn’t say I wanted to kill her. I wanted my people to be **_rid_** of her.”

The fisherman frowned. “Then…”

“Are you interested?” Thalia snapped.

There were still many questions rattling about in Harun’s mind. Still, he couldn’t see that he had any alternative. The young lad nodded.

“Very good,” smiled the mermaid. She extended her small hand to the sea, making an odd chirping noise.

Then, to Harun’s surprise, a small gray crab appeared, crawling out from the waves. No larger than his thumbnail, the crab scurried up the beach and into Thalia’s waiting palm. She lifted the tiny creature to her lips, then whispered urgently to it.

“What…?” Harun asked.

Thalia momentarily ignored him. She passed her hand to her hair, and suddenly, her palm was empty. Where had the crab gone?

The mermaid turned back to Harun, as if nothing unusual had happened. “On the far side of this island,” she murmured, “there is an old human shipwreck. Very, very old. And within the ship is a treasure of priceless value. Obtain that treasure, and you can place the Princess Aglaia under your spell. She will then to do **_whatever_** you wish.”

She cocked her head to one side. “Does **_that_** interest you, mortal?”

*** *** ***

Thalia insisted that they walk directly across the island. “If we were to travel along the beach,” she said worriedly, “my fellow sea-maidens would spot us. I can’t risk that.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t carry you,” Harun protested.

The mermaid made a dismissive gesture. “Leave that to me.”

She then passed one hand over her tail, and suddenly the silver-green scales rippled. Harun watched, astounded, as her bottom half reformed itself into two shapely human legs, well-muscled under soft, human skin. Thalia stretched and wriggled her newly-formed toes, then hopped into an upright position.

“There. Shall we?” she invited Harun, her voice bright.

Stunned, the fisherman rose to stand beside her. He couldn’t take his eyes from his feminine companion. Now, she appeared as a naked human woman – strikingly beautiful, of course, but fully human. He appreciatively scanned her figure.

Thalia had small breasts, a tiny waist, little, graceful hips, and a very flat stomach. Her raven-black hair flowed down her narrow back, coming to a halt just above her new human buttocks, which were round but chiseled.

“Come on, then,” Thalia said, one eyebrow lifted. She’d seen Harun stare at her nude form. The fisherman blushed, embarrassed.

“You mortals,” the mermaid sighed. “You wear clothes and then are ashamed of what is beneath. Why is that?”

As she spoke, she strode away from the beach, toward the forest. Harun hurried to walk beside her.

“Well… uh… I dunno,” he replied. “Its just… how we are.”

They were stepping into the trees now. “Merpeople,” Thalia declared, “embrace our outer selves. How could we not? We have the fairest bodies in all Creation, don’t you agree?”

“Oh yeah,” replied Harun, stealing another sideways glance at Thalia’s breasts and hips.

“Well, once you retrieve the treasure,” promised his companion, “you can take Aglaia as your bride. She will not refuse you. You can have her in your bed every night.”

A thousand lustful possibilities instantly blossomed in Harun’s imagination. He forced himself to push them aside. “How… how do you know about this treasure?” he asked pointedly.

“I told you,” Thalia said, annoyed. “I’m a creature of magic. Magic can sense magic. I know that treasure is here.”

“So then why not retrieve it yourself?”

Thalia paused, pressing her blood-red lips together. “I would,” she admitted. “But I can’t.”

“You **_can’t_**?” Harun repeated, suddenly suspicious. What was it that Old Trusker said about mermaids? That they were the most selfish creatures on Earth? _All Others Be Damned?_ Was he being used as a pawn for some diabolical purpose?

“Hey,” he said stopping short. “You’re not telling me everything.”

“And what of it?” Thalia demanded, flashing her emerald green eyes. “Do you want to escape from this island, or not?”

Harun scowled. “Let’s get that treasure,” he said glumly.

*** *** ***

Thalia led Harun across the small island, easily weaving through the thin forest. At the southernmost tip of the island, the land rose up into a small mountain, then dropped away into the sea in a sheer cliff.

“The cave is down there,” Thalia told Harun, peering over the edge of the cliff. “You’ll have to climb down.”

“I have to **_climb down?_** ” exclaimed Harun, despondent. “I’m a sailor, not a mountain climber! Why didn’t we just walk along the shore to reach here?”

“I **_told_** you,” Thalia said, exasperated. “We mustn’t be seen by Aglaia or my fellow mermaids. Just climb down, slip into the cave, and retrieve the treasure. Can you do that?” she asked pointedly.

Harun groaned. “The treasure better be small,” he grumbled.

“It’s a necklace,” Thalia revealed. “A simple necklace, a chain of pure gold, with a large sea-opal attached. Snatch it, and you’ll have no trouble climbing back to me with it around your neck.”

“A necklace, huh?” the fisherman mused. “Fine. Fine, then.”

Still unable to shake the feeling that he was being used somehow, Harun started to lower himself down the cliff.

Thalia suddenly looked astonished. “Wait, I almost forgot!” she exclaimed.

Harun, his feet already planted on the cliff face, looked up at her. He was growing tired and suspicious of the mermaid’s surprises.

Thalia knelt before him, which put her breasts exactly at eye level. Despite his irritation, Harun stared.

“Here,” the beautiful mermaid said, her hand dipping into her hair. She moved her fingers toward Harun’s ear, and now he could see the tiny gray crab held gently in her grasp.

“Hey!” he said in alarm.

Thalia pressed the crab to his neck, and Harun felt the little crustacean grip his skin. The crab turned and scurried up his scalp, burying itself into the lad’s thick, long hair.

“Hey!” Harun cried again. He shook his head violently. He didn’t dare swat at the little creature, for fear of losing his grip on the cliff.

“Don’t, don’t!” implored Thalia. “You will need our little friend!”

“As what?” Harun glared. “A snack?”

The mermaid held his shoulders firmly. Locking her gaze on Harun’s, she said firmly, “Crawler crabs ward off evil spirits.” She shrugged. “As you mortals say, it couldn’t hurt. Could it?”

Harun exhaled in frustration. He glanced again at Thalia’s breasts.

“I guess not,” he glumly allowed.

*** *** ***

The climb down the cliff was not as dangerous as Harun had feared. After perhaps twenty minutes of carefully selecting his hand and footholds, he found himself down where the rocks met the sea. Sure enough, the cliff face had an enormous gaping mouth, facing out to the ocean. Even now, the water was flowing inside.

The young fisherman peered into the cavern. His weak eyes detected nothing but darkness.

But as he carefully made his way inside and out of the sunlight, Harun’s eyes adjusted to the shadows. Sure enough, just as the lovely Thalia had described, there was the wreck of an ancient ship, deep within the cave. The old vessel – there was no way to guess how old – lay gutted on the sharp rocks. Her mast had long ago broken off, and most of her wooden sides had rotted away. The stink of decay hung in the air.

With difficulty, Harun climbed up the rocks, then onto the old ship itself. He could feel the old planks sag under his weight, and he had to step carefully. The light was dimmer here.

About him, the ruins of a once-fine vessel lay. He could see skeletons, cast about the deck, simply staring off into space. Shattered wood lay strewn about, and one section of the ship was slowly being eaten by sea-moss.

Harun frowned, turning about. Back by the ship’s stern, there was a small cabin, little more than a wooden hut, built against the frame of the ship. He made his way to the door, then carefully pulled on its rope handle.

The handle dissolved in his palm, and then the door collapsed. The cluttering sound echoed throughout the great cave. An enormous cloud of dust rose up.

Harun coughed, waving his hands about to clear the air.

Inside the cabin, there was the remains of a bed, a decaying table, and much more debris… but also a chest of heavy oak and iron!

The lad’s heart leapt. That chest did not belong on this modest little vessel, not in the slightest! The craftmanship was finer and studier than the ship itself. **_This could only be the treasure._**

Excited, Harun pushed his way into the cabin. He grabbed the lid, and swung it open. The chest…

…was completely empty.

“Looking for this, eh, boy?” rasped a scratchy voice, right behind him.

His heart leaping into his throat, Harun spun around. There, in the doorway, was a bent, humanlike creature. His first impression was that this was a woman, old and shriveled with age. But this… er, woman had greenish skin, with long clumps of slimy seaweed dangling from her thinning scalp. Her black, soulless eyes shone with an evil light. Harun could see that she had perhaps only four teeth, all dark yellow, and all pointed in different directions. Warts covered her face and hands. The woman wore a black cloak, which was long enough to drag on the worn deck. It was tattered and stank badly.

The boy’s chest thudded in terror. This… thing… before him could only be **_Graknor the Sea Witch!_** The very demon about which Old Trusker had warned him! What had the older sailor told him? _Graknor, she who lured young men into her clutches, to then eat them alive!_ Harun wanted to vomit in terror.

The witch, sensing triumph, cackled wildly. In her wizened hands, twisted and gnarled like ancient trees, she held a chain of gold, intricately made by master craftsman. **_The necklace!_** And dangling from the chain was a single medallion, a sea-opal stone embedded within a ring of gold. Exactly as Thalia had described. The opal glowed a faint blue.

“Foolish, foolish boy!” chortled the witch, lurching forward and holding the medallion higher. “The mermaids sent you to steal my prize, did they? Well, those wenches should know; I got to it first! Its mine! Mine!”

“Back off,” warned Harun, raising his fists. “I’m stronger than I look.”

“Oh, as am I, boy,” the witch replied. She licked her lips with a glistening, black tongue. “You’re a scrumptious morsel, yes, yes, you are.”

She held the medallion high.

“Give me that,” ordered Harun.

“Ah ha ha ha…!” the witch chuckled, inching closer. “Look, dearie, look…”

Harun found that he couldn’t look away. The medallion was glowing brighter and brighter, and somehow, beams of soft blue light were swirling about the opal. At first, the boy thought these lights were a mere trick of the eyes… but they grew larger.

“Yes…” chortled the witch.

Harun thought she sounded far away. As he observed, the blue light was taking on the forms of dolphins, jumping about in the waves. Then they seemed like sea birds, twirling about the opal. And then, blue clouds, swirling faster and faster. The cabin grew darker; the medallion grew brighter.

Time seemed to slow down. Harun felt himself becoming strangely indifferent to his predicament. The opal was growing, growing, growing, and growing brighter at the same time. There was a soothing effect, not unlike being rocked to sleep by gentle waves.

In fact… Harun did feel sleepy. His arms were heavy, and on their own, they lowered themselves to his side. He blinked, once.

“Yes, dearie,” the witch’s voice said, somewhere beyond the medallion. “You will soon be my slave. In fact, when I count to five, you will close your eyes, and become mine… forever…!”

Two parts of Harun reacted. One side of his mind liked this feeling of surrender, and the thought of becoming the witch’s slave made him so happy. So happy…! He smiled inside, imaging himself to be under command, willing to do anything his putrid mistress demanded.

But the other half of the boy was horrified. _Fight her!_ he urged himself, deep within his mind. _Resist! Look away! Escape!_

The witch was counting, and Harun could feel the free side of his mind losing the struggle. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep his own eyes open. The urge to escape was being snuffed out.

And then, just when he’d almost fallen under the black sleep, just when all was about to be lost, Harun felt a sharp pain at the base of his skull. The crab, which had remained perfectly still until this moment, had realized something was very, very wrong. The little critter was now dancing about, pricking Harun’s skin with every pincher and foot it had.

The pain was like a slap across Harun’s mind.

“Ow!” he shouted, twisting about, and instinctively slapping the back of his head.

Suddenly, the world reset. Harun blinked. He was standing in the ship’s cabin, the witch gripping his arm. The old hag still clutched the gold necklace. But she’d been caught off-guard.

“Eh?” the witch exclaimed as Harun rounded on her.

Without hesitation, Harun struck her. He threw the hardest punch he could muster, right across the old woman’s jaw. Of course, Harun’s mother had once taught him to never, ever, **_ever_** , **_EVER_** slug an old lady… but these were extraordinary circumstances.

The witch cried out, more in surprise than pain. She lost her footing, and toppled backward, and right through the rotting floor of the ship. Harun could hear a loud splash as she struck the water, below.

But at the last second, Harun had snatched the medallion, wrenching it from the hag’s fingers. Now it swung wildly in his fist, glittering up at him with a proud light.

Amazed by his close call, Harun threw the necklace around his neck, then hurried out of the cabin as fast as he dared.

Within seconds, he’d hopped over the ship’s rail, and was inching his way back along the cave, towards the sunlight. Behind him, under the ship, he could hear the furious witch, thrashing about in the water and cursing his name. But she was helpless to pursue.

Soon, bright daylight was stabbing his eyes. Grateful for his close call, Harun scrambled out of the cave, and began climbing the cliff.

And meanwhile, in the ship’s cabin, the little crab lay on its back, squirming furiously. The sea-critter rocked back and forth, eventually turning itself over and back onto its legs. Annoyed at this whole ordeal, the crab scuttled along the deck, seeking to return to the sea.

*** *** ***


	4. All Others Be Damned, Chapter 3:  The Princess and the Fisherman

“So… you got it?” Thalia asked, her beautiful green eyes shining.

Harun shot her an exasperated look. He’d only pulled himself back up the cliff, and was lying on the ground, red-faced and huffing mightily. Thalia knelt at his side, looming over him.

“Well, **_did_** you?” the mermaid pressed, her voice rising.

“Yeah, yeah…” breathed Harun, willing his body to calm itself. “See?”

He rolled onto his back, and the golden necklace was now clearly visible around his neck. His long hair had hidden the chain before.

“Ah!” gasped Thalia, and she could not resist reaching for the glowing opal.

The fisherman clenched his hand over the stone. “Its mine!” he warned. He still didn’t trust his feminine companion.

Right away, Thalia backed off. “Of course, of course,” she murmured. “Were I to touch it, Princess Aglaia would probably sense it immediately.” She was fascinated by the strange jewelry. “Do you have any idea how it works?”

Harun blinked in surprise. “You don’t know?” he asked.

The mermaid shrugged. “My magical senses tell me a little, but not much,” she admitted. “All I really know is that you can use it to put a powerful mind-spell on another person. I assume you’ll have to trick Aglaia to wear the necklace, then…?”

Harun eyed the nude mermaid, suddenly aware of her lush and perfect body. His imagination kicked into action, and he imagined those small breasts pressed up against him as Thalia kissed him with passion. How did Graknor the Sea Witch use the medallion?

“Well…” the fisherman said, sitting up, “I don’t think its that complicated, really.” He unslung the necklace, then dangled it in the air before Thalia’s beautiful face. “See? The stone is the key.”

“Hmmgh,” Thalia replied, gazing at the opal with a quizzical expression.

And then, without any prompting from Harun, the medallion began to glow. The misty shapes of seahorses and birds and clouds began to swirl about in the sky-blue aurora. Thalia watched carefully.

And then, somehow Harun simply knew what to do. “Look deeper,” he instructed his companion. “Look deeper, and feel yourself relax…”

Yes! He would tell Thalia that her body was relaxing, deeper and deeper all the time. Soon, she would feel sleepy, and then she’d be unable to resist an overwhelming compulsion to close her eyes. Once she did that, she would be in his power.

“Relax?” Thalia said skeptically. “What does-“

“Shh,” Harun told her. He knew **_exactly_** what to say. “Keep your eyes focused here. Relax. Allow my words to relax you even deeper…!”

The mermaid’s expression was fading. “Wait…” she mumbled, her eyes still locked on the stone.

“Look deeper,” Harun commanded. “Let every other consideration go. Feel yourself tumble in a sweet, relaxing sleep…”

“Wait,” Thalia said again, her voice weaker. The mermaid clearly sensed what was happening to her, and was struggling to resist the mind-warping magic. “Wait… I know that… you are only able to use… this magic on one… one… person…”

Her eyelids blinked, slowly. She was losing the battle.

Harun paused. Use the magic on only one person? Somehow, he knew that Thalia was right.

“Can you take me back to my kingdom?” the fisherman demanded.

Unable to resist him, Thalia answered in a low, passionless voice. “Yes… But Aglaia will see us. She will kill us both for trying to escape.”

Harun cursed to himself. Thalia was right; he was entrancing the wrong mermaid.

The young lad took another longing look at Thalia’s lean body. She was now completely motionless, gazing blankly into the blue light of the opal, her arms dangling limply at her side. Only her heavy eyelids, blinking occasionally, moved.

With reluctance, the fisherman decided to release his captive. At least he now knew how easy it was to wield the necklace.

“When I snap my fingers,” he told Thalia, “you will awaken, remembering nothing.”

He clicked his fingers exactly once, then dropped the necklace back around his head. Instantly, the blow glow vanished from the opal.

Thalia’s eyelids shut completely, for only a moment. She shook her head, then looked about.

“I’m sorry…” the mermaid mumbled, confused. “Did you say…”

“I got the treasure,” Harun told her.

“Oh,” Thalia replied, then snapped out of her dazed funk. She peered at the opal in fascination. “Do you have any idea how it works?”

“Take me to Aglaia,” grinned Harun, rising to his feet.

*** *** ***

The fisherman and mermaid took their time returning to the northern beach. They plotted their strategy as they walked.

“You’ll have to put your spell on the princess when she’s separated from her other handmaidens,” Thalia said worriedly. “If they realize you’re using magic on her, they’ll attack.”

“Even if they’d benefit from my spell?” Harun asked, surprised.

Thalia nodded. “I told you, mermaids are absolutely obedient to their rulers. And Aglaia is a princess; her maidens are in thrall to her. Including me,” she added sourly.

“So we have to distract the maidens,” the fisherman mused. “Or create a reason why Aglaia wouldn’t want them to be with her.”

Thalia’s eyes lit up. “Of course…!” she murmured.

*** *** ***

On the beach, Princess Aglaia stretched out in the warm sand, enjoying how her body loved the sun. Soon it would be time to return to the ocean. But for now, she had transformed her tail into human legs. It was fun to stretch those legs and wriggle her toes in the sand. Idly, Aglaia wondered if all humans sunbathed in the nude. If they didn’t, they were fools indeed.

It was low tide, although the sun was high in the sky. There was a small cove on the western face of the island, and now Aglaia and her fellow mermaids were basking in the warm sunbeams. The other mermaids kept glancing back at the ocean waters with longing, for they felt exposed and out-of-sorts on dry land. But they dared not defy their temperamental mistress.

Unconcerned about her handmaidens’ distress, Princess Aglaia sighed wistfully and closed her eyes. She allowed her thoughts to wander.

Humans... Lately, Aglaia had made a sport out of teasing them, flirting with them, using her great beauty to drive them wild. It was fun, really. Human men thought themselves masters of their world, but they could be reduced to drooling idiots with Aglaia’s merest glance. She cherished that feeling of power.

And yet…

Aglaia scowled. Distracting humans was a momentary pleasure. Men inevitably looked away from her, returning to their empty little lives. Didn’t they know she was a goddess? That she deserved nothing less than worship?

Toying with the two fools on that last fishing boat had been the most fun she’d had in a long time. But **_why_** was it so much fun?

Aglaia reflected on this question. Why was it so much fun to taunt those two measly fishermen?

The answer was obvious: Because after titillating them, she’d watched them drown.

Yes, that was it. The princess grinned to herself. When she’d pulled those scrawny fishermen down to the bottom of the ocean, there had been this moment when each man realized he was about to die. The men had screamed, a deeply satisfying wail of heartbreak and terror. There was nothing like it.

So why not drown more humans? Why not? Were they not trespassers into her realm? Couldn’t she condemn them as she saw fit?

Liking this idea, Aglaia stretched out again. She’d decided. Once she’d finished her sunbath, she’d return to the sea with her mermaids. They’d hunt for another fishing vessel. And this time-

“Princess!” Mahala, an orange-haired mermaid piped up.

Furious at interruption of her daydream, Aglaia snatched a rock and hurled it at her handmaiden. Mahala yelped in pain as the stone struck her on the shoulder.

“ ** _What?_** ” bellowed the princess, incensed.

Mahala, cringing, pointed back to the jungle.

There, at the place where the beach met the grass of the jungle, perhaps forty paces away, stood a man. A fisherman! Harun, that lowly worm! **_Still alive!_** He stood tall, his arms crossed over the skinny chest.

Aglaia glared. **_How had that miserable creature survived?!?_** Did one of her mermaids-

The man pointed directly at her. “ ** _You!_** ” he roared. “Mermaid scum! Revolting trollop! Hideous skank! Your head will be mounted on my wall!”

And with that, Harun reached behind him, producing a long, straight stick. With the confidence of an expert, he hefted it in the air, took a running step forward, and threw it straight at Aglaia.

The princess’ heart flopped. **_A spear!_** The man had made one of those human spears!

In a flash, Aglaia rolled to the side, and she felt the weapon plunge into the sand, exactly where she’d just laid.

Enraged, the princess shot to her feet.

“ ** _I’ll have your head!_** ” Harun yelled at her. “ ** _Or are you afraid to fight me?_** ”

Then a second spear appeared in his hands. With power and skill, he hurled this one into the air, too.

The mermaids screamed as everyone scrambled to get out of the way. Once again, the projectile missed Aglaia by inches.

The red-faced princess looked up, just in time to see the wretched fisherman turn and bolt into the jungle.

Already, her handmaidens were giving chase.

“ ** _NO!!!_** ” screeched Aglaia. “ ** _HE’S MINE!!!_** ”

And she sprinted after her prey.

*** *** ***

Mermaids are not used to running. In the sea, their natural habitat, they can move swifter than the nimblest porpoise, faster than any other creature alive. But on land, the use of two legs confuses them. So Princess Aglaia was already at a disadvantage as she gave chase.

But her body was strong and powerful. She could plow through the jungle like a bull, tearing up the earth and sending branches flying in all directions. She could see the man fleeing before her; he was not far ahead.

Not thinking clearly, Aglaia tore forward. Suddenly, her ankle made contact with a fallen palm tree, a hard tree that had been deliberately laid down on this path. The princess cried out in surprise as she tumbled forward.

Her nude body landed on a bed of soft leaves. She sprawled on the ground, her senses momentarily knocked from her. The jungle seemed to sway about.

“You give a fine chase,” Harun’s voice said, mocking. “So, are you ready to face me?”

Aglaia set her teeth, tossing her head to throw her thick, golden hair over her left shoulder. She was on hands and knees, which forced her to crane her neck upwards.

Sure enough, there was the fisherman, looming before her. He was calmly approaching, dangling something from his outstretched hand. A grim smile was on his face.

 _Strange_ , Aglaia thought in annoyance. Was this whole chase so that Harun could see her prostrate before him? **_To humiliate her?_** Well, she’d see who had the last laugh, once she snapped his neck.

“I give up,” the man said plainly, holding the object on a sparkling chain closer and closer to Aglaia’s face.

The princess scowled, eyeing the bluish object now swaying before her. Was this a trick? Was this chain thing some kind of deceptive weapon?

The stone on the end of the chain began to glow, just a little. Surprised, Aglaia eyed the object. A sea-opal! Priceless…!

“Where did you steal that?” she demanded, reaching for the stone.

“Relax,” the fisherman told her. “It’s magical. Possibly more magical than you.”

“Is that so?” snarled Aglaia. Harun was holding the opal just out of her reach. She stretched forward.

“There, you see?” the fisherman exclaimed.

The little stone was now glowing with a bright blue light. A strange fog seemed to appear about it, swirling about in an endless circle. Aglaia hesitated. The human was right; the stone was magical.

“It has a calming effect,” Harun remarked, as if discussing the weather. “Calming… making you want to relax, let go, forget your anger… relax even more deeply…”

Aglaia’s rage faded. The opal was glowing even more brightly now.

*** *** ***

From perhaps twenty paces away, Thalia watched carefully. Her princess was on hands and knees, haplessly gazing into the opal stone. Harun, standing before her, was speaking rapidly. Everything was going according to plan.

The black-haired mermaid bit her lip. Or was it? Aglaia seemed to be falling under the opal’s power. But what if the princess could resist the stone’s charm? Mermaid princesses, after all, are endowed with extraordinary magic. It was entirely possible that Aglaia’s will was strong enough to resist the necklace.

If so, all was lost. Aglaia would break Harun’s body across her knee, then claim the magical amulet as her own. And then her power over the other mermaids would be even stronger.

Thalia watched, dread eating her alive. She could hear Harun’s soothing voice, droning on and on about relaxation and surrender. And more than once, Thalia felt her eyes drift to the blue stone. It took tremendous willpower to shut out this siren’s call.

Suddenly, Harun snapped his fingers. Without protest, Aglaia stood upright, her arms loose at her sides. She gazed at the human fisherman without expression.

Grinning, the man slipped the necklace over his head, then took Aglaia in his arms. She made no attempt to push him away.

“Sleep!” commanded Harun.

Without hesitation, Aglaia closed her eyes and went completely limp. Harun’s knees sagged as he caught her, but he kept her from falling to the ground.

Relief swept through Thalia. The princess had succumbed! Her mind now belonged to the human. She would happily obey whatever impulse he placed in her thoughts.

Thrilled beyond belief, the black-haired mermaid spun on her heels, and hurried back to the cove.

*** *** ***

“…and awaken!” a man’s voice commanded.

Princess Aglaia’s eyes fluttered open. Where was she? This wasn’t the ocean.

She looked about, puzzled.

Aglaia was half-standing, half-leaning against a man, a strange man she’d never seen before. She blinked, brushing the golden hair from her eyes. The man was tall. Handsome. Muscular. Rippling with confidence. He had long hair, and a golden necklace hanging from his throat. The man smiled at her, and the princess felt her heart blush with pleasure.

She smiled back.

“Here,” the man said gallantly, and he helped her stand on her two feet.

The mermaid princess smiled again, taking stock. She was in… a jungle. That was strange. Shouldn’t a mermaid be in the sea? So then, why…?

She shook her head.

“Something wrong?” the man asked.

“I…” Aglaia said, puzzled. She opened her mouth, but the words to express her feelings escaped her.

“Let’s start simple,” the man said, now walking in a slow circle about her. As he spoke, his fingertips reached out and oh-so-gently touched the underside of her buttock. “Who are you?”

 _Who am I?_ thought Aglaia. _Why, I’m…_

“I’m your slave,” she said impulsively.

“Yes, yes,” the man smiled, now behind her and caressing the second buttock. “So who am I?”

“You’re my master,” Aglaia said.

The words had sprung to her lips automatically, she had no ability to stop them. And yet, she did not wish to stop them. They felt so **_right._**

She was this man’s slave. He was her master.

The princess smiled to herself. Immediately, she felt wonderful.

“Very good,” complimented the handsome man, now tracing his wandering fingertips up Aglaia’s arm and around her elbow. “And what do you want right now?”

The mermaid’s thoughts winked out. She only wanted one thing.

“I want you to fuck me, master,” she moaned.

It was true. Even as she spoke the words, she felt her human vagina becoming moist. In the humid jungle, this is a uniquely tantalizing experience.

The man grinned, now brushing the underside of her breast. His thumb tweaked her now-erect nipple.

“Yeah…” he grinned.

And now, master and slave stood toe-to-toe. Aglaia began to pant softly, as she could feel her master’s erect cock pressing against her belly. He was dribbling, and his cum was already kissing her smooth skin.

The master leaned forward, no longer able to restrain himself. His lips found Aglaia’s, and they kissed.

As she stepped closer, the entranced mermaid could feel the cool necklace and medallion press against her own warm skin. She sighed, raising her arms to slip around his neck.

 _I am yours_ , she thought, and she meant it, too.

And then, they were kissing, almost biting one another in their passion. Teeth clinked against teeth. Both man and mermaid grunted in their passion, unable to restrain themselves.

Princess Aglaia was beside herself with arousal. She could feel the moistness of her vagina between her legs, an unusual sensation for a mermaid. _I want Master to fuck me_ , she thought desperately to herself. _I want Master to fuck me._

Master was having a hard time holding himself back. When Aglaia’s hand wandered down his broad chest, over his abdomen, and then lightly touched the tip of his penis, it became too much. He groaned, suddenly grabbing his slave-lover by the hips.

The mermaid found herself spun around. Knowing exactly what was about to happen, Aglaia bent at the hips, gripped a palm tree with both hands, and then braced her arms. She spread her feet wide, the arched her back.

She had no sooner done this when Master’s cock was kissing her, then sliding inside. He started sloooooowly… In… and out… In… and out… And it felt **_wonderful_**.

The princess began to tremble. She screwed her eyes tightly shut.

Back in the mermaid kingdom, she’d taken mermen lovers. Servants and slaves, mostly. Underwater mermaid sex is fast and passionate and sometimes animalistic. (In case you were wondering: merfolk genitals are hidden away via magic means. Only when a mermaid and merman are heavily aroused, do their sex organs become visible and accessible. Their orgasms cause terrible waves, up on the ocean surface.)

But Aglaia had only enjoyed sex on the ocean bottom, and always when she was in complete control. Now, her mind enslaved, her body controlled by her master, and her sexual feeling running rampant, Aglaia could only hang on and enjoy the wave upon wave of delight.

Her master gripped her harder and increased speed. In and out and in and out and in and out. Oh, wonderful! And then: Inandoutandinandoutandinandoutand ** _inandoutandinandINANDOUTANDINANDOUTAND_** … **_AND_** … **_AND_** …!!!

!!!

Princess Aglaia felt her first on-land orgasm, her first human orgasm, and **_it was divine_**. She wordlessly screamed, her face contorted into a pleasure-mask of ecstasy. The palm tree she was gripping was nearly ripped from the earth.

As she came and then came **_again_** , even harder, Princess Aglaia had but one thought: _I’m so glad I am this man’s slave. I want to cum like this every day._

Some of that was the medallion’s magic imposing its will upon her. But some of it was also Aglaia herself tasting a delight she’d never known.

*** *** ***

Man and mermaid finished their lovemaking, rested, then enjoyed each other once again. And then again. The medallion gave Aglaia a limitless interest in raw sex, and the more the hypnotized girl received her master’s cock, the more she wanted it.

Harun, meanwhile, found himself feeling a little bewitched, too. The mermaid princess was easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, both in face and in body. Her vagina felt heavenly. The moment he finished climaxing inside her, he wanted her all over again.

But after countless frolics, the two lovers found all they wanted to do was lie on the soft forest floor, entwined in one another’s arms. Aglaia snuggled onto Harun’s shoulder, using him as her pillow. Harun burrowed into her thick, golden hair, amazed at how she smelled of every kind of flower he’d ever known. Her body felt warm against his.

“Mmm…” the princess murmured happily. She hugged Harun closer.

Becoming magically hypnotized had changed Aglaia’s soul, and for the better. She was in love, and this cleansed her of the wickedness that she’d once carried. All she wanted was to spend her every waking hour with his man, loving him. If that meant bestowing love to his fellow human beings, so be it.

Meanwhile, the fisherman grinned lazily, and let his eyes drift upwards to the canopy of palm leaves overhead. “I could stay here forever,” he found himself saying.

He could not know it, but Aglaia’s body was exuding her own magic. The reason sailors fall in love with mermaids at a glance is not just because they are so lovely to behold, but also because their very presence can be a powerful love potion. The hours of sex had only compounded these effects.

So: Aglaia was in love with him because she was enchanted by the opal necklace, and he was falling for her because of her mermaid-powers. It was an odd symmetry. Suddenly, the role of master and mesmerized slave seemed unimportant.

“I could stay here forever,” Harun repeated. His lopsided grin started to fade. “But I can’t.”

“No?” Aglaia coo’ed. She sounded disappointed.

“I can’t stay on this island,” Harun told her. “There’s nothing to eat, no shelter, no protection from the elements. Besides,” he added grimly, “Graknor the Sea Witch will come looking for me, sooner or later, I’m sure.”

“Graknor?” asked his lover.

Harun briefly told her of his encounter on the old ship, omitting only Thalia’s hand in that adventure.

“Oh,” frowned Aglaia. “Well, we have to get you away from here, my love. Graknor is a vengeful demon; she will be hunting for you once the sun sets.”

“But…” Harun found himself saying, “I don’t want to leave you.”

The princess traced his chest muscles with her slender finger. “Nor I you,” she whispered.

The two listened to the sea lap against the island.

“Then I have to come with you,” Aglaia declared. “To the humans’ land.” She nodded, once, resolute. “Its settled.”

Harun stared at her. “I was going to order you to take me back,” he confessed, “then remain in my bed forever as my willing love-slave.”

“Sounds fun,” giggled Aglaia.

“But…” the fisherman protested, “I have no fishing ship anymore. No trade. No means for a home.” He sighed. “I would take you back, only to offer you a life in the streets. Slaver gangs would spot you, and you’d be captured and sold to a wealthy man. It would be a miserable life for both of us.”

“What is,” Aglaia asked, “a **_wealthy_** man?”

Harun blinked. “A wealthy man is… a man with a lot of riches. Money.”

“Money?”

“Yes,” nodded Harun. “You know, gold.”

“Oh!” Aglaia exclaimed, relieved. “You had me worried, silly. Gold I have.” She patted her thick hair, which shone in the sunlight.

“No, no,” Harun said patiently. “Not your hair. I mean gold coins.” When she stared back at him blankly, he explained, “Gold coins, little disks of metal gold, about this big…” He made a small circle with his thumb and index finger. “Human people use those to buy things.”

“Really?” said Aglaia, her eyebrows raising. “How quant.”

“Its how the human world works,” sighed Harun.

The mermaid shrugged, then passed her fingers through her hair. When they emerged, she was holding five small, golden coins, exactly as Harun had described.

“Would this be enough, my love?” she asked innocently, dropping the coins on Harun’s narrow chest.

The lad wheezed, caught off-guard by the sudden weight. He seized a coin, inspecting it carefully. It was perfectly smooth on both sides, yet undeniably made of gold.

“Where… where did you get these?” he blurted out in amazement.

Aglaia shrugged. “Mermaid magic.” She brushed her hair once more, producing another five coins.

Harun’s unhinged mouth twisted into a bright smile.

*** *** ***


	5. All Others Be Damned, Epilogue

On the cove, the mermaids could see the sun beginning its descent into the west. It had been a long, strange day. The sea-maidens itched to return to the bottom of the sea, where the water was dark and cool and safe. All these hours in the hot sun were not enjoyable. And yet, none of the lovely sea-creatures dared to budge until their ruler gave her permission.

“Can’t someone go and find Princess Aglaia?” whined Mahala. The orange-haired beauty was bored to tears.

“Silence!” snapped Thalia. “Never question our lady’s commands.”

The other mermaids sighed, resigned to more waiting.

But then, far across the cove, the ferns parted. Princess Aglaia and the human fisherman appeared, hand-in-hand. They were talking and giggling to one another, oblivious to everything in the world but each other. The sunlight gently struck their nude bodies, making them almost glow.

As her subjects watched, Aglaia waded into the sea, pulling her human companion after her. She waded up to her hips, then transformed her legs into a tail. There was a light splash, and then she and the fisherman were speeding across the ocean surface, heading to the distant horizon.

“She’s going to drown him for real this time?” Mahala wondered aloud.

But Aglaia swam on and on. Within a minute, she was a speck on the edge of the world… and then was gone.

“She’s left us!” gasped Giana, a brown-haired mermaid.

“Our princess has left us!” agreed Paonan, another beauty.

The mermaids’ disbelief turned to grateful, celebratory cheers. They could feel their magical allegiance to the hated Aglaia dissolve. She was gone! Her reign of terror was over!

“ ** _SILENCE!_** ” roared Thalia, leaping up on her human feet.

Instantly, the cheering faded. The sea-women looked upon Thalia with fear in their eyes.

“ ** _Fools!_** ” fumed the raven-haired mermaid, her green eyes blazing. “Did you forget? Aglaia was my older sister. With her gone, **_you are all now in thrall to me._** ” She rose her head in pride.

This was the truth. The mermaids quailed, but one-by-one, they bowed their lovely heads to their new mistress.

Princess Thalia grinned in triumph. Mermaids, it is said, care only for themselves. All others be damned.

*** *** ***


	6. Omnia Scientia Masters, Chapter 1:  Emmerich Jäger’s Grand Experiment

**_Paris, 1890_ **

_Salle de Démonstration #2_ was the _Hôpital Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière’s_ biggest lecture hall, situated off the _Mazarin_ entrance of the great teaching hospital. The hospital’s motto – _Omnia Scientia Masters_ (“Knowledge Masters Everything”) – was inscribed over the entrance.

A few minutes before two in the afternoon, the doctors began arriving and occupying the lecture hall’s audience seating. These were the elite surgeons and psychiatrists of Europe, all very learned men. They wore pressed pinstripe suits of charcoal gray, with the latest hats, waistcoats, black leather gloves and matching shoes. Their beards and moustaches were immaculately trimmed. Some wore monocles, fastened to gold chains. All of these men held an aloof, snooty air about them. After all, they were the elite. **_Learned_** men.

Accustomed to attending these lectures, the doctors took their seats with a minimum of fuss. Some took out small notebooks. All waited impatiently.

Then, precisely on the stroke of two, the door on the lecture stage opened, and a thin, middle-aged man appeared, also dressed in a professional suit. The man beamed immediately, moving to the lip of the stage. There was the barest smattering of polite applause.

The man clasped his hands before him, smiled brightly, and, in French, said, “Good afternoon, _Monsieurs_. Welcome to this afternoon’s lecture on Clinical Hypnotism. I am Dr. Claude Broussolle, special assistant to Dr. Charcot. Alas, Dr. Charcot cannot be with us this afternoon; I hope my instruction will be just as informative as his.”

The doctors in attendance scowled. Jean-Martin Charcot was Europe’s most distinguished expert in hypnotism. And who was this Claude Broussolle? A nobody! Egos were ruffled.

“What an age to live in, gentlemen!” exclaimed Dr. Broussolle. “Scientific discoveries are now being made **_every day_**. New ways to travel, to grow our food, to catalog our vast information, indeed even to study the heavens themselves now lie at our fingertips. And with hypnosis? We now have a tool to explore the realms of the human mind itself! It is a New World, indeed!”

This prompted real applause. The men in this room were scientists, completely invested in the idea that God’s world was created under physical laws, and that one day, math and reason could learn the answers to all questions. _Omnia Scientia Masters._

“So, let’s begin, shall we?” Dr. Broussolle said crisply. He gestured to a stagehand, just out of sight. “Send in _Mademoiselle_ Page, _s'il vous plait_?”

There was a bit of a shuffle backstage, and then a young woman, dressed in a modest _charvet_ dress, complete with a shirtwaist and chemisette, stepped onto the stage. The woman’s skirt went all the way to the floor, which swished about her as she moved. She was quite lovely, with dark hair and soft, green eyes.

“Ah, _Mme_ Page, welcome, welcome,” beamed Dr. Broussolle, taking the young woman by one hand. “Now tell me, have you ever been placed in the hypnotic state before?”

The young woman looked out at the staring audience and went very pale. She shook her head.

“Excellent,” Broussolle exclaimed. “Look into my eyes, please.”

 _Mme_ Page visibly swallowed. She instinctively took one step backwards.

“Come, now!” barked Broussolle, taking control. “Look into my eyes, girl!”

The young woman did as commanded, and soon found Dr. Broussolle’s endless hypnotic patter flowing over her. After about two minutes, her worried expression faded. Soon after, she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

“And… **_sleep!_** ” intoned Broussolle, snapping his fingers directly before _Mme_ Page’s face.

Instantly, the young woman’s eyelids closed. Her body went limp, and she would have slumped to the floor had Dr. Broussolle not slipped an arm around her waist at just the right moment. Now, her still body fully rested against the doctor.

A ripple of surprise and interest flowed across the audience. The doctors had read about hypnotism, but never seen it in action.

“ _Mme_ Page is now deeply hypnotized,” announced Broussolle. “She will respond to my suggestions, and should find it quite impossible to resist my commands. We can take advantage of this state to probe her psyche, and cure her of many serious ailments.

“For example,” the hypnotist continued, “ _Mme_ Page was selected for this demonstration because she indicated she experiences an acute fear of snakes. Perhaps this is due to an unfortunate experience she once had as a child? Let us explore.”

“ _Mme_ Page,” he commanded. “When I snap my fingers, you will stand on your own two feet. But you will remain within deep hypnosis.”

He clicked his fingers, and the young woman obediently stood. Her eyes remained closed, her face completely blank.

Broussolle nodded, placing one hand on her shoulder. In his authoritative baritone, he said, “Very good. Now, _Mme_ Page, you will respond aloud to my questions, but remain in deep hypnosis the entire time. Have you always been afraid of snakes?”

“…yes…” the young woman replied, her voice flat and soft.

“Now, that cannot be true,” Broussolle declared. “When I snap my fingers again, your mind will travel back, back into the past, back to the moment when you were first afraid of snakes. You will remain calm and deeply hypnotized the entire time.”

He clicked his fingers, once. The doctors watched _Mme_ Page carefully. The young woman remained completely motionless.

“Now then,” Dr. Broussolle said causally, “tell me how old you are, and where you are.”

When the young woman spoke, her voice became high and childlike. “I’m eight years old,” she said absently. “I’m on my papa’s farm. We live in Contréglise.”

“Very good,” complimented the hypnotist. “Now, tell me what you see.”

“My papa,” replied Mme Page in a pained voice. Her face contorted into an expression of grief. “He is lying on the ground. The doctor is kneeling over him.”

“I see,” Broussolle said, unconcerned. “Why? What is happening?”

The young woman let out a sob. “Papa is dead,” she mumbled. “He was bitten by a snake. Evil wood spirits sent a snake to kill him.”

She choked back more tears.

Dr. Broussolle passed a hand over the young woman’s face. “Sleep, and let the vision fade,” he commanded her. Instantly, Mme Page’s face went blank.

“There, you see?” the hypnotist said to his audience. “This is quite an elementary case. _Mme_ Page was scarred as an impressionable child, and we see the origin of her psychosis. A silly belief in supernatural forces and a nonscientific view of the world has clouded her perceptions.”

He smiled broadly. “Now, I will cure her.”

Placing his hand once on _Mme_ Page’s shoulder, Broussolle intoned, “Young lady, on the count of five, I will snap my fingers. When I do, you will awaken. You no longer believe in silly, fairy tale creatures like wood spirits. They are nonsense. You are a modern, sensible woman. You only believe in God and what is in the real world, what can be rationally proved. When you open your eyes, you understand that your papa’s encounter with the snake was an accident, nothing more. You no longer believe in storybook fantasy creatures!

“Now,” Broussolle said dramatically, “when I count to five and snap my fingers, you awaken, remembering nothing!” He counted, clicking his fingers exactly once.

Every doctor in the audience leaned forward, watching the young woman in enraptured fascination. Mme Page’s eyes fluttered open, and she straightened her posture. With a quick gesture, she rubbed her eyes.

“Good,” Dr. Broussolle announced. “Tell me, my dear, how do you feel?”

“Very well, doctor,” _Mme_ Page said plainly. She absently rubbed one cheek.

Keeping his eyes on the audience, the hypnotist asked, “And how do you feel about snakes, if I may ask?”

Looking perplexed, the young woman shrugged. “Oh. They are… just one of God’s creatures,” she replied. “I don’t like them, if that is what you are asking.”

“Do they frighten you? I believe your dear father died from a snakebite, no?”

“He did,” admitted _Mme_ Page. She looked mildly sad. “But that was just an accident. Poor papa.”

“You see?” crowed Dr. Broussolle to his audience.

This time, the applause was sustained and enthusiastic. The doctors excitedly murmured amongst one another, impressed at this demonstration.

As _Mme_ Page frowned, wondering what all this commotion was about, the doctors marveled at what they had just witnessed. Science was ascendant! Someday, man would learn any secret in the universe he wished to know! The natural world – including the mechanisms of the human mind – was just waiting to be conquered.

_Omnia Scientia Masters!_

*** *** ***

That evening, _Le_ _Boissons du Penseur_ , a gentleman’s drinking club, was packed. Located at 35 _Rue des Cordelières_ , it was only a few blocks from the hospital. An ideal spot for doctors.

By the roaring hearth, three young doctors were discussing their impressions of Dr. Broussolle’s lecture. They spoke rapidly in German, as to keep their conversation private from anyone who might be eavesdropping.

“Oh, I think hypnotism is fascinating!” enthused Dr. Hans Meyer, a Swiss psychiatrist. At age twenty-five, Dr. Meyer was a plump fellow, and still cursed with a baby-faced complexion. He’d done his done his best to hide his cuteness with enormous muttonchop sideburns… but the babylike appearance still shown through. “Just imagine,” Meyer gushed, “being able to cure patients of any psychosis with a single hypnosis session!” He shook his head in wonder.

The fellow to this right was Dr. Gottfried Gruber, an Austrian surgeon. “Perhaps,” Gruber grumbled, sipping his port. “Dr. Broussolle mentioned the use of hypnosis for anesthesia. Yet we had no demonstration of **_that_**.”

The third doctor was Emmerich Jäger, a Prussian medical scientist. He was eyeing the young and very pretty barmaid. At twenty-seven, Jäger was tall, handsome, and charismatic. He had broad shoulders but a trim waist, suggesting a well-muscled body under his suit. His well-maintained beard and moustache made him resemble some of Italy’s better-known opera stars.

“What do you think, Emmerich?” Meyer prodded.

Jäger curled his lower lip. “I think its astounding,” he rumbled.

“Yes!” Meyer agreed. “Yes, exactly what-“

“I think its astounding that a roomful of Europe’s brightest minds can’t see the most obvious use for hypnotism,” Jäger interrupted contemptuously. He made a snorting noise and then removed a cigar from his jacket pocket.

Meyer’s cheery smile wilted. “Why, Emmerich… whatever do you mean?”

“You saw it yourself today,” Jäger replied, flicking a condescending glance at his colleague. “When placed under hypnosis, the female mind becomes docile and obedient. **_That_** is what we men should be using it for.” He inserted the cigar between his jaws.

“Oh,” Meyer said, taken aback. He hadn’t expected this turn in the conversation.

“Why, did you know,” lectured Jäger, “that as we speak, in America, women are organizing to get the right to vote? To **_vote!_** In England, women can now be landowners! In your Austria, Gottfried, women are petitioning the government for permission to drive cars!” His face contorted in disgust. “Female motorists! Can you imagine? No road would be safe.”

Meyer and Gruber exchanged a surprised look. 

“You propose that men should… hypnotize all women?” Dr. Gruber asked point-blank.

“Absolutely, prior to marriage!” insisted Jäger. He lit a match from his matchbook, then held the flame to his cigar. “Can’t you imagine how much better the world would be if we enforced the divisions between the sexes that way?”

Gruber looked down into his beer. “Well…”

“Take that lovely young specimen there,” Jäger said, indicating the barmaid. She was sixteen, with rosy cheeks and her dirty blonde hair carefully set in twin French braids. As she twirled about the tables of drinkers, her skirts swished in delight, highlighting her hips. And her bare shoulders made her very alluring to the watching men.

“That girl will grow up seeing other women making a commotion about _‘Women’s Suffrage,’_ ” Jäger said darkly. “Why, she’ll think that women are **_supposed_** to protest and overturn society. And where will we be then?” He exhaled an angry cloud of cigar smoke. “No, give me an education in hypnosis and an hour with that young creature, gentlemen, and I’ll fix all that’s wrong with today’s world.”

Meyer decided to abruptly change the subject. “Er, Emmerich, how goes the medical science business these days?”

“Ah, its all conferences and travel,” grumbled Jäger. “Next autumn, I have a symposium in Athens. Athens! Can you imagine? I’ll have to travel by steamship.” He rolled his eyes.

Gruber finished his beer. “Tell me, Emmerich…” he said, “why does a medical research scientist need to study hypnotism? Its not like you treat patients.”

“Why indeed…?” said Jäger mysteriously.

Gruber shrugged, turning the conversation to the next Olympics. Soon, he and Meyer were in a gentlemanly argument.

But Jäger was not listening. His lecherous eye remained on the pretty barmaid.

*** *** ***

Emmerich Jäger remained in Paris for another three weeks, carefully following Dr. Broussolle and the _Pitié-Salpêtrière Hôpital_ ’s team of clinical hypnotists. He studied their scripts and journals, taking copious notes. When an opportunity came to hypnotize a new patient, he eagerly volunteered. Everyone was impressed at how quickly he mastered the basic skills. He became a star pupil.

What no-one knew was that Dr. Jäger was making a point to practice on Paris locals after dark. He’d take a purse full of _francs_ and then frequent the taverns, watching the young people carefully. When he’d identified someone he thought would make a good subject, he’d introduce himself, offer a small sum of money, and then hypnotize whomever was willing to take his offer. In this way, Dr. Jäger rapidly learned what makes an effective hypnotist. He became a master.

But he told no-one was **_why_** he was learning hypnotism. The more he thought about it, the more Jäger convinced himself that it was essential for men to learn to dominate women with hypnosis. He looked about Paris, with its trendy cafes and salons, and everywhere he saw young women running amuck. The natural order between the genders, he believed, had become dangerously unbalanced.

With hypnosis, he would fix that.

*** *** ***

But Jäger’s first attempts to subjugate a female mind ended in decisive failure.

At the end of his third week in Paris, the Prussian doctor made a visit to a working-class tavern up in Montmartre. There, the patrons eyed his pressed suit, unscuffed shoes, and handkerchief with surprise… but then shrugged and returned to their beer. Jäger took a secluded seat in the back, and watched the crowd.

Eventually, he spotted Adele, a plump young woman who had a merry laugh and a pretty face. “You want to do **_what_** to me?” she balked when Jäger made his proposition.

“Hypnotize you,” the scientist explained. “For… ten _francs_?”

The ends of Adele’s mouth turned down. “Ten _francs_? Show me.”

Jäger dipped into his coin-purse, then held out the coins.

Adele looked suspicious. “Mmm… Very well, _monsieur._ But no funny business!”

The scientist and his subject retreated to the very back of the tavern, where Jäger went to work. Adele resisted at first, but eventually dropped into a suitably deep hypnotic slumber.

 _Excellent_ , thought Jäger. He put a commanding hand on Adele’s round shoulder.

“And now, woman,” he intoned, “when I snap my fingers, you will open your eyes. You will realize that I am your master and-“

At that, Adele’s eyes flew open. “Master???” she yelled, causing everyone in the pub to turn and stare. “ ** _Master?!?_** _Perverter!_ _La connasse!_ How dare you!!!”

Red-faced and shaking, Adele slapped Jäger across the face. Three burly off-duty factory workers appeared, not looking at the Prussian too kindly.

The scientist grabbed his hat and rushed for the door. Insults and bottles were hurled after him.

*** *** ***

After he’d escaped, Jäger brooded. What had gone wrong? Why hadn’t Adele’s female mind bowed in submission to his superior male intellect?

The problem, he realized, was that **_Adele had been suspicious from the start_**. Her mind had erected mental barriers that even deep hypnosis couldn’t breech.

If Jäger was to use hypnotism to subjugate women, he’d have to find a way to keep that suspicion at bay.

So the Prussian scientist redoubled his efforts. He spent much time in _Pitié-Salpêtrière Hôpital_ ’s Psychology Library, reading up on theories of trust and how to inspire confidence upon meeting someone for the first time. The research literature was scant… but there.

It took another three weeks of reading and experimenting before Jäger was confident that he had a foolproof technique. By this time, he was at the end of his research stay in Paris. He wanted one last attempt to seduce and dominate a woman. It would be the crowning achievement of his visit!

*** *** ***

On his last Paris evening, the medical scientist slipped back into _Le_ _Boissons du Penseur_ , the same tavern where he’d argued with Drs. Meyer and Gruber. Tonight, the club was nearly empty. Pleased, Jäger took a table near the back, lit a cigar, and then waited.

After perhaps ten minutes, the object of his interest appeared.

“ _Salut,_ _monsieur,_ ” the pretty, sixteen year-old barmaid said, flashing her bright smile. “What would you like?”

Jäger leaned forward, hoping he looked handsome and rich. “Ah, a cognac, _mademoiselle_ ,” he replied. “And… perhaps but a moment of your time?”

The barmaid – Jäger had learned that her name was Giselle – looked surprised. “My time, _monsieur_?”

“Ah, I am a scientist,” Jäger said eagerly. He gingerly set his cigar into the table’s ashtray. “From the hospital. I am merely studying methods of relaxation. And I was wondering if you would like to help me with a modest experiment of the mind?”

He spoke in a passive tense, one laced with suggestive language and deliberately friendly subtext. He smiled and bowed his head when he started speaking, as if Giselle were royalty. He flattered, but not in an overly obvious way. He never used the words _hypnosis, trance_ , or _obey_.

And, as he was talking about the importance of his experiment, Jäger carefully laid twenty _francs_ on the table, one-by-one.

“This experiment,” he went on, lying through his teeth, “will be written up in the _Journal de Psychologie Moderne_. With your kind permission, of course.”

“Me?” blushed Giselle, and eyeing the money. “In a journal?”

Jäger nodded. “Usually ladies featured in the _Journal_ are invited back for subsequent interviews and lectures.”

Giselle’s eyes glittered with excitement. She was flattered! Gullible and foolish; **_perfect_**. Jäger felt like the spider, coaxing the fly to relax in the web.

The barmaid quickly surveyed the club. None of the other customers were paying the slightest bit of attention to her. The bartender was smoking his pipe and reading the newspaper.

“How long will this take?” she asked pointedly.

“Ten minutes,” promised Jäger. Another lie.

With an excited giggle, Giselle scooped up the _francs_ , popped them into her apron pocket, then sat in the chair next to Jäger. “What do I do?” she asked.

“Listen,” the scientist instructed. “Merely listen to me, and relax…”

*** *** ***

Under Jäger’s calm baritone, Giselle slipped into a trance relatively quickly. Within a few minutes, her eyes rested closed, her beautiful young face was slack, and her body slumped forward, motionless and limp. She was an excellent hypnotic subject.

More importantly, at no point, had the girl displayed any sign of suspicion. She followed Jäger’s instructions without question. Her mind accepted his test suggestions: Before being awakened, she was hypnotized to believe that she could not remember her name, then to believe that she was stuck in her chair, and then that she was Queen Marie Antoinette, wondering why all the tavern patrons couldn’t simply eat cake. In all ways, Giselle was the ideal subject.

 _I’ve got her,_ Jäger thought excitedly, already planning for a night of hypnosis-dominated sex with the young lady. _I’ve got her!_

He put Giselle back into a deep sleep, then told her, “In a moment, I’ll snap my fingers. You will awaken, remembering nothing. **_Nothing._** But tonight, at eleven o’clock, you will come to the _Hôtel pour Piétons_ , Room 312. You will enter, and then immediately fall back into a deep sleep. Then-“

Giselle’s head jerked up. She leapt from her chair so quickly, her shoulder nearly clocked Jäger in the jaw. Now she whirled on the scientist, her eyes furious.

“ _Va te faire foutre!_ ” the young girl swore. Then, in her rage, she flung the table’s ashtray into Jäger’s lap, burning cinders and all. “I am **_not_** your whore! I will never come to your room! _Salaud!_ ”

The club patrons looked up from their drinks, apprised the situation, then chuckled.

As Giselle flounced away, Jäger jumped up, batting away the hot ashes. His face burned with humiliation. He cursed himself.

What had gone wrong??? Giselle was young and gullible… but not innocent enough to understand that men wanted her for her body. Despite Jäger’s flattery, his promises of fame, and the offer of money, the girl’s mind had erected at least one defense against his dishonorable intensions.

Angry and dejected, the scientist stormed out of _Le_ _Boissons_. He now knew: his scheme to hypnotically subjugate women was a failure.

*** *** ***


	7. Omnia Scientia Masters, Chapter 2:  Wonderfully Gullible

**_The Aegean Sea_ **

**_Five Months Later_ **

A little after dawn, the passenger liner _Megálo Korítsi_ steamed along, her prow doing her best to slice through the choppy ocean waters. The ship was positively ancient; her hull was stained with a thousand rust-spots, and there were multiple dents in the hull. The old girl didn’t even have electricity, but forced the passengers to rely on coal stoves and smelly oil lamps after dark.

The _Megálo_ had made this journey a thousand times before, and now she grunted with effort to make the journey once again. Thick, black smoke belched from her twin smokestacks.

Up on the passenger deck, Emmerich Jäger gripped the railing. He was fighting a lingering trace of seasickness. His fellow passengers also looked slightly green. Was it his imagination, or were they all old people? How unusual. Normally, a passenger ship like the _Megálo_ was populated by businessmen and vacationing families.

The door to belowdecks banged open, and an attractive young woman emerged, shrieking with laughter. Jäger jumped with surprise.

The lady was pretty, very pretty, with her brown hair tied up about her head in sensible German braids. Her brown eyes were lively and Jäger admired the pink hue in her cheeks. She wore a plain traveler’s dress with matching cape. But Jäger could tell that her figure was trim and alluring.

The young woman’s face was flush with excitement. She paused, breathing heavily.

“There you are!” a male voice behind her cried in German.

And then a lanky young man appeared in the doorway. He seized the woman by the waist and began tickling her. The man wore a drab gray suit, customary for a lower-class passenger. Jäger spotted a new wedding ring on his finger.

“No, Hans, no!” squealed the woman in delight. Laughing, she wriggled out of the man’s grasp, then escaped up the deck. The man gave chase, his face alight.

“Newlyweds,” an elder fellow next to Jäger said in a low voice. He sighed. “I was that young and in love, once.”

Jäger frowned, offended by the young couple’s lack of decorum. What, did those young fools think they were in grade school? Such carrying-on was undignified, to say nothing of-

The _Megálo_ suddenly lurched, throwing all her passengers off their feet. Everyone could feel a mechanical rumble deep within the old ship, and then the smokestacks coughed up alarming amounts of black soot. The vessel slowed, then stopped.

Jäger steadied himself, frowning. Something had gone wrong.

*** *** ***

“ _Meine Damen und Herren!_ ” the German-speaking steward cried out. “Er, may I have your attention, _bitte?_ ”

Jäger and the other Prussian/Austrian passengers were assembled in the First Class Lounge. There was obviously a problem with the ship, and everyone had waited impatiently for some news. Jäger himself was in a foul mood. Now he would be late to his conference!

“There is nothing to be alarmed about,” the steward announced nervously. He looked like he was lying. “The ship, er, has suffered a minor mechanical problem. But our fine crew will have it repaired… er, soon.”

“ ** _How_** soon?” the passengers wanted to know.

“Uh, soon, soon,” the steward assured them. “In the meantime, the captain invites you all to enjoy the shipboard luxuries.”

Jäger snorted. The “luxuries” were a substandard gambling room, an understocked and overpriced bar, and a foul-smelling gym.

“Or,” the steward continued, “the captain has arranged for a longboat to ferry passengers to the nearby island of Peristera. Just for an hour or so.”

“What’s on Peristera?” an older woman wanted to know.

The steward looked panicked. “Er… beaches…” he replied lamely. “And a very charming village, I am told.”

 ** _Every_** island in the Aegean had beaches and “a very charming village.” Jäger was not impressed.

“If you wish to go, meet on the passenger deck in twenty minutes,” instructed the steward.

*** *** ***

After mulling over his unimpressive options, Jäger opted for the island. He couldn’t bear the thought of reading yet another dull book in his cabin. Besides, the air on the ship was growing too stuffy for his taste. Too many old people aboard!

But upon boarding the ferryboat, the scientist had second thoughts. The giggling young newlyweds were among the passengers, and they couldn’t keep their hands off one another. When the boat cast off, the young couple erupted into a second tickle battle, causing all their fellow passengers to roll their eyes.

*** *** ***

Sure enough, Peristera Island’s “charming village” was a wooden dock and perhaps twenty fishing huts.

“This is **_it?_** ” wailed an old woman passenger. “ _Gott im Himmel_ , there’s not even a café!”

The passengers quickly sorted themselves into two groups: those who wanted to return to the _Megálo_ immediately, and those who felt, well, we came all the way here, we might as well stretch our legs.

“Very well, very well,” the exasperated _Megálo_ ferry officer exclaimed. “Those who wish to return can return with me now. Those who want to stay, be back here in three hours. _Ist das in Ordnung?_ ”

Disgusted, Jäger wondered which was the better of his two options. Neither seemed very promising.

As he watched the old people clamor back aboard the ferryboat, Jäger noticed that the newlyweds had wandered off to the beach, walking hand-in-hand. The scientist paused, eyeing the body language of the young couple. They were walking close together, touching their bodies at their shoulders, hips, and legs. The wife was tilting her head toward her husband.

They were going to have sex! Jäger, a credentialed expert in human behavior, was sure of it.

“ _Guter Herr!_ ” the ferry officer called out to the scientist, “are you coming?”

With nothing else to do… and a lusty curiosity to see that young wife naked… Jäger waved away the officer. Then, he followed the newlyweds, careful to maintain his distance.

*** *** ***

The beach was miles long. Jäger removed and carefully set aside his shoes and socks, then walked slowly, always keeping the young couple at a considerable length. They talked and talked, unaware of the scientist following them.

After perhaps a half-hour of strolling, the island’s coastline began to weave about. The sands remained comfortable and warm, but there were smooth, flat rocks at the water’s edge, as if God had casually scattered them about for decoration. The sun was climbing high into the mid-morning sky.

Jäger sighed, growing despondent. The couple were showing no sign of copulating. They were still two hundred feet ahead of him, slowly strolling hand-in-hand. The wife stooped every now and then to pick up a seashell.

Then the young lovers walked up the beach, moving out of the reach of the tide. The husband sat down, crossing his legs. The wife lay on her back before him, placing her head in his lap. They pointed into the sky, clearly watching the lazy clouds overhead. Neither spotted Jäger.

 _Well, that tears it_ , Jäger thought disgustedly. _They’re not having sex. Stupid wretches._

Not knowing what to do with himself, the scientist looked about. The boat back to the _Megálo_ was long-gone, and would not be back for another three hours. He was growing hungry, and had not thought to bring anything as a snack.

Then, before him, there was a splash from the waves. A creature of some sort emerged from the water, not five feet away, flinging itself across one of the smooth rocks at the shore’s edge. The motion was so quick and sudden, Jäger almost thought his eyes must be playing tricks on him.

He blinked, squinting through the foam that was being sprayed in all directions. What was this creature? A large seal? A fish? A dolphin?

No, it was…

…a woman.

A beautiful woman, a **_startlingly_** beautiful woman, a **_startlingly beautiful and nude woman_** , with flowing long hair of gold, tinted with blue and sea-green flecks. The woman had bright blue eyes, full, red lips, and flawless skin that looked soft under the sheen of water that flowed from the woman’s body. Jäger had seen many young ladies in his day, but never – **_NEVER_** – had he beheld such a lovely and alluring creature. It was as if the gods had meticulously crafted her, determined to one-up Helen of Troy.

Jäger stared openly at the woman’s body. She was completely naked, freely exposing round, bouncing breasts that now dripped with seawater. At first glance, it appeared that the woman had folded her legs beneath her. But looking more closely, Jäger could see that beneath the woman’s narrow waist, her skin changed into a mesh of beautiful scales, each a greenish-silver color. She had a long, slender fish tail where her legs should be.

A mermaid!

A **_MERMAID!!!_**

*** *** ***

Stunned, it was all Jäger could do to keep himself from falling over. Modern science had cataloged thousands of sea animals, from the great sperm whales, to the elusive giant squid, to the tiniest shrimp, to even the lantern fish which prowled the darkest, deepest waters. But **_mermaids?_** No scientist had ever plausibly suggested such a being could exist.

Yet, there she was, a real mermaid, running graceful fingers through her thick hair, shaking out the water.

Jäger’s heart began to beat rapidly. His mind whirled.

What did he remember about mermaids from his boyhood storybooks?

The maidens of the sea were, without a doubt, the loveliest women on God’s earth. They possessed perfect beauty, both in face and body. That description certainly fit the gorgeous being before Jäger now.

What else could he recall…? Mermaids were curious about humans. Some were malicious, intent on causing mischief in peoples’ lives. All mermaids supposedly wielded great magic. They were beings of the Old World, from a time where maps had large, blank spaces, and mankind was in no position to claim mastery over the Earth.

Oh, there was one more thing Jäger recalled about mermaids: They usually brought horrible luck to the mortals they encountered.

The scientist may have stunned by his discovery, but one thing he did know: He didn’t believe in luck. Luck was an unscientific concept.

*** *** ***

Her tail still tucked underneath her, the mermaid closed her eyes, arched her back, and straightened her arms to the sky. It was as if she was stretching from a long sleep. Jäger couldn’t help but stare as those nude breasts jutted out and shone in the gentle sunlight.

Then the mermaid folded her hands in her lap and cast her gaze up the beach, at the newlyweds. The couple were still engaged in their cloud-conversation, and had not noticed the sea-beauty’s appearance.

Jäger swallowed as the mermaid then turned her head to look directly at him.

Their eyes met. Oh, she was beautiful. A thousand master painters could have labored for hundreds of years, and yet never captured a fraction of her delicate beauty. Jäger was particularly enchanted by her blue eyes. She seemed to have deep, limitless eyes, expressing both the beauty and mystery of the sea.

The mermaid regarded the scientist with detached fascination.

 _Speak to her_ , Jäger coaxed himself. _Don’t let her swim away!_

“Ah… hello, _fräulein_ ,” he said in what he hoped was a friendly voice.

The mermaid tilted her head slightly. “I heard voices,” she said absently. “I wanted to see.”

Even her voice was beautiful, as if music could be used to express words. She spoke in a language Jäger did not recognize… and yet somehow, he could perfectly understand everything she said. And she could comprehend him.

“Yes,” the scientist agreed, daring to take a half-step forward. Could he get close enough to grab her? “Well, you must have heard, eh, those two.” He nodded at the distant newlyweds. The sounds of their conversation could be barely heard above the surf.

The mermaid peered at the husband and wife, and Jäger stole another longing glance at her bare form. She seemed completely unconcerned about her own nudity.

 _She’s… perfect!_ he thought lustily.

“Yes,” the mermaid said thoughtfully. She made a small laughing sound. “You humans are so curious. You rush about in such a great hurry. But then, when you arrive, you sit about and do nothing. It is all most odd.”

The scientist inched forward another half-step. “My name is Dr. Emmerich Jäger,” he said casually. “What is-“

“That is such a long name!” exclaimed the mermaid with delight. “Doktoremmerickjaaager?” She almost laughed again. “It takes such a long time to say it! Do you need hours to converse with other humans because you have such long names?”

 _She’s got the mind of a child,_ Jäger thought. _Curious, but with no common sense. She’s an innocent._

 _An innocent?_ another part of his mind responded. _Yes… she has no concept of human guile or deceit!_ He grew excited. _If I were to hypnotize her… she would never become suspicious of my intentions!_ His heart beat faster. _She would become hopelessly enslaved! After just one session!_

Jäger forced his breathing under control He had to entice the sea-maiden first.

“Why don’t you call me Emmerich?” he suggested. “Or just Em?”

“Em…” the mermaid repeated, trying it out. She giggled. “Em. I like that.”

“And what is your name?”

The mermaid tossed her head, and Jäger realized that her long hair – and entire body – was now somehow perfectly dry. Her golden locks shimmered as they bounced off her bare shoulders.

“I am Thalámina,” the mermaid said warmly. “Princess among my people.”

An old-fashioned monarchist like Jäger could not help but be impressed. “Princess?” he said, then gave a quick, playful bow. “Your highness…!”

Thalámina’s brow wrinkled at this action; the mermaid didn’t understand what Jäger was doing.

“That’s how my people greet kings and queens. And princesses,” the scientist explained.

“Ah,” Thalámina responded, still puzzled. Then she shook her head. “You humans are so strange to me.” She turned back to look at the newlyweds. “So strange…”

“Well, there is much about us humans you don’t know,” said Jäger mysteriously. “Those two yonder are thought-sharing.”

“Thought-sharing?” the mermaid echoed. “They look like they are just… sitting.”

“Oh, you mermaids don’t thought-share?” asked Jäger, pretending to be amazed. “Well, that explains much.”

“What?” Thalámina said, turning her curious blue eyes on the scientist. “Thought-sharing. What is it?”

Using his professorial voice, Jäger explained, “Thought-sharing is when two people exchange ideas directly within their minds. It is a higher form of communication.”

The beautiful Thalámina gaped at him. “No! I didn’t know you humans could do that!” She regarded the newlyweds once more. “That explains much about your people.”

“So, mermaids can’t thought-share?” Jäger pressed.

Thalámina shook her lovely head. “We have many magical abilities,” she lamented, “but not that one. You humans are lucky indeed.”

“Well, I could teach you,” Jäger offered. “Thought-sharing doesn’t take long to learn.”

Surprised, Thalámina stared at him. “You can teach me?”

“Absolutely,” promised the scientist. “Well, first, I can show you how I can put my thoughts into your head. And then you will know how to put your thoughts into mine.”

“Amazing,” murmured Thalámina, impressed. “You humans really are quite clever.”

She laughed, and Jäger laughed too, delighted at how easily his plan was coming together. The mermaid was **_wonderfully_** gullible.

Perfect.

Jäger thought quickly. To hypnotize Thalámina, he’d need to lure her to somewhere where they couldn’t be spotted and interrupted by the newlyweds.

“We’ll have to move up there,” he told the mermaid, pointing to the gentle forest beyond the beach. His smile faded. “Can you leave the water?”

“Oh, of course,” Thalámina said dismissively. She passed a hand over her tail, and Jäger was amazed to see her scales ripple. In the blink of an eye, the tail had reformed itself into two shapely human legs, nude and perfectly muscled.

The mermaid hopped off the stone, now appearing as a naked human woman, standing and stretching in the Aegean sun. If Jäger had been captivated by her body before, he was doubly enchanted how. Every inch of Thalámina oozed with sultry perfection. Her muscles, hips, thighs, buttocks, slender arms, tiny feet, breasts, and trim shoulders were all paragons of feminine sexuality. _Eve must have looked like this in the Garden of Eden_ , Jäger thought, dazed.

“Come,” he said, extending his hand. To his delight, the mermaid accepted. Her skin was warm and pleasant to the touch.

Feeling increasingly confident, Jäger led her away from the beach.

*** *** ***

Perhaps after twenty paces, tall grasses poked up from the sand. After twenty more paces, there was soft undergrowth, and then small trees. It was easy to find a secluded thicket.

“This will do,” Jäger declared. “Remember how that man and woman were sitting? We’ll have to sit exactly like that.”

He squatted, then sat on the ground, crossing his legs. Then he gestured for Thalámina to lie down, placing her head in his lap.

But the mermaid looked confused. “But… why must we do this here?” she asked.

Jäger was a skilled liar. “The trees provide a magical connection with the earth and the heavens,” he explained carefully. “You don’t have trees where you come from, do you?”

Thalámina shook her head.

“Well,” Jäger said, laying it on thick, “trees are very magical things. When you first thought-share, you need the power of the trees to begin the process.”

“I see…” Thalámina murmured, although she looked as if she didn’t understood at all.

“Trust me,” commanded Jäger. He patted the ground before him. “Lie down.”

The naked mermaid did as he instructed, lying on her back and carefully placing her head in his lap. Jäger marveled at the thickness and softness of her hair. It smelled faintly of a blossom he could not place.

Thalámina craned her neck to look up at Jäger. “So, must I-“

“No speaking!” Jäger instructed. “Not until I say. Lie back, and close your eyes. Hands at your side.”

Thalámina obeyed, and was soon motionless. Jäger could not tear his eyes from her gorgeous body, stretched out before him.

“Now then,” he said. “Listen to me. Listen only to the sound of my voice. Focus only on me. Allow yourself to think of nothing but me.”

And then, he launched into one of his best hypnosis scripts. He told the mermaid that her body was relaxing, letting go, melting into the ground with every breath she exhaled. Thalámina’s chest rose and fell as she breathed. Her face became blank, and her lips parted, just slightly. Jäger could see her teeth; they were small and white and perfectly-shaped. Her breathing slowed and deepened.

Mindful of his failure to mentally enslave Giselle the barmaid, Jäger decided to tread carefully. It was hard to contain his excitement. “And now, Princess,” he said, voice trembling a little, “when I snap my fingers, your hands become lighter than air. They will float up into the air, like two seagulls taking flight. You will be unable to stop them.”

He snapped his fingers, once, quietly.

And then, moving with an independent grace, Thalámina’s tiny hands stirred. Jäger watched, delighted, as they rose from the sand, then drifted higher into the air. The mermaid’s face never once flickered.

 ** _She was hypnotized!_** Jäger’s heart was pounding so loudly, he suspected thar Thalámina might be able to hear it.

 _Calm down,_ the scientist thought to himself. _This is where you failed with all the other women! Remember Paris! Proceed cautiously._

“Very good, Princess,” he continued, still marveling at her two slender arms, pointing straight up towards the sky. “And now, your mind will sink even deeper into relaxation.”

As best Jäger could tell, Thalámina was ready for the hypnotic suggestions that would bind her will to his. The scientist took a deep breath, then continued:

“I will count from ten to one,” he told the mermaid. “With each number I speak, you will find that your mind desires to obey me more and more. And you will also find that as you submit to my commands more and more, your hands grow heavier and heavier and will sink back down to the earth.”

He took a deep breath before implanting the key suggestion: “When I reach the last number and your hands become completely heavy again, you will no longer be able to resist any of my suggestions. **_You will want only to obey every command I put within your mind._** You cannot resist.”

Jäger paused, bracing himself for the young woman to break from her trance in a rage.

But Thalámina remained motionless. Only her chest rose and fell, very gently. She offered no resistance.

“Now,” Jäger said, almost giddy, “listen carefully…”

And he filled Thalámina’s mind with instructions.

*** *** ***


	8. Omnia Scientia Masters, Chapter 3:  Mine To Do With As I Please!

“Awaken!” Jäger cried, snapping his fingers loudly, twice.

Thalámina slowly opened her deep blue eyes. She gazed into the sky, then allowing a wonderous smile to spread across her face.

“That was… wonderful!” the nude princess exclaimed.

She stretched, extending her arms, while arching her neck and back and then curling her legs against her body. She actually yawned a little.

The hypnotist watched his subject very, very carefully. If all had worked, Thalámina would have no memory of going into hypnosis. Instead, Jäger had instructed her to believe that the thought-sharing lesson had been a smashing success.

The beautiful mermaid sat up, swiveling to face Jäger. Her expression was both delighted and thoughtful. In the sunlight, her nude body and golden hair seemed to positively glow.

“ ** _Most_** curious!” Thalámina pronounced, absently twirling a blonde strand around one finger. “It was as you said, Em. I could listen to **_your_** thoughts within **_my_** head. It was as if you were speaking directly inside my mind!”

Jäger allowed himself a restrained smile. So far, so good.

Shaking her head in wonder, Thalámina laughed. “How wonderful it must be for humans to converse in this way! You must teach me more. I wish to bring this new magic back to my people.”

“Perhaps,” the scientist allowed. “First, we have to test something.”

With deliberate motion, he pressed two fingers against the side of his temple. “Kiss me,” he commanded.

Instantly, the mermaid’s expression changed from joyful to demure. “I obey, Master,” she murmured, then crawled forward on her hands and knees. She leaned over Jäger’s lap, and then brought her mouth to his.

The kiss was deep and warm. Jäger felt swept away as those rose-colored lips caressed his own, gently embracing them with both skill and magic. Her delicate tongue slipped into his mouth, carefully touching him. He could feel her thick, blonde hair tumbling about his face. His own thoughts skipped in that moment.

Thalámina held the kiss for a lingering heartbeat, as if aware of how powerful it was. Then, she pulled back, gingerly breaking their contact. Jäger felt the cool sea air on his lips.

The hypnotist grinned mightily. It **_worked!_** His plan to hypnotically subjugate women! **_IT WORKED!!!_** He wanted to bellow in triumph.

But Thalámina looked startled. “Oh…” she mumbled, “I don’t know why I just did that-“

“Kiss me,” Jäger demanded, once again touching the side of his forehead.

“I obey, Master,” Thalámina immediately responded, and leaned forward once again. The next kiss was passionate and lasted a full minute.

Jäger was nearly driven wild. The mermaid’s beauty, loveliness of body, nakedness, and subservience to his control were all too intoxicating. Never had he even dreamed about this sort of power. His erection felt as if it were about to tear through his trousers.

“Wait, wait…!” the mermaid protested, crawling back. Her alarm was evident. “How are you-“

“You are my slave,” Jäger told her firmly, once again touching his head. “You only want to pleasure me.”

Immediately, Thalámina halted. Her expression grew confused. “I obey, Master,” she agreed. “I am your slave. I only want to pleasure you.”

A strange smile spread over her face.

And with that, the lovely mermaid reached to remove her hypnotist’s clothing. She had no qualms or doubts. Jäger’s dominance over her mind was complete.

The scientist could not stop gloating.

*** *** ***

Of course, Thalámina had no earthly idea how to take off human clothes. Mermaids are dedicated nudists. (Artwork depicting them using starfish or seashells to cover their breasts is inaccurate.) So the poor princess was at a loss when she saw the many buttons on Jäger’s suit.

Nonplussed, the scientist undressed himself. Thalámina watched him with an almost worshipful expression on her lovely face. She was astounded when Jäger removed layer after layer, but did not ask questions.

Finally, the two were naked together. Thalámina had been hypnotized to see Jäger as positively godlike, and as she snuggled up against him on the forest floor, the scientist could see wonder and arousal in her eyes. Her body felt soft and warm against his bare skin.

“I want you, Master,” she whispered.

She was being entirely truthful. Jäger had taken great care to set her mind so that the mermaid was both in love and in lust with him. She could not resist these base impulses.

The two began kissing again, and this time, the kiss was not broken. She panted and grunted softly as he attacked her.

*** *** ***

Mermaids are creatures of magic. This is why they are **_indescribably_** beautiful, have such luscious bodies, and their laughter is sweeter than the finest birdsong. It is why sunlight seems to shine from their skin in the day, but starlight twinkles in their soft eyes at night. It explains why a lonely sailor will glimpse them only for a fleeting second, yet remember them in crystal-perfect detail until his dying day. And this magic is why, if she wishes, a mermaid can cause you to fall in love with her forever, merely with a glance from her sultry eyes.

So of course, sex with a mermaid involves confronting her erotic magic… and then basking in it. Jäger gasped as Thalámina ran her small hands over his skin. Her naked presence against his body was driving him wild, and he moaned in delighted surrender as she explored him.

By both magical design and pure skill, Thalámina was a goddess of sex. She knew how to touch a man using her fingertips, her mouth, her tongue, her nipples, her hips, even her hair. She found places on Jäger’s body that he did not know were sensual.

As the nude princess made love to him, the scientist found himself barely able to concentrate as he caressed her. Thalámina’s breasts felt wonderful in his palms. He was ecstatic to find that her buttocks and thighs felt even better.

“Mmmm…” Thalámina murmured, locking herself in a deep kiss with her master.

Jäger’s nostrils filled with a heavenly aroma. Mermaids, when aroused (and above water), emit a special pheromone that is part hormonal, part magical. No man can resist this aphrodisiac.

So the scientist lost control over himself, becoming little more than a lustful, demanding animal. He flipped the hypnotized mermaid on to her back, then climbed on top. His hands raced over her smooth skin, taking joy in the curves of her exposed breasts, hips, and long legs. At the same time, he wildly kissed her neck, and she squealed with pleasure. Her eyes were screwed tightly shut in ecstasy.

“…Master…!” she moaned.

Jäger thought his swollen cock might explode. A part of him wanted to savor this experience, to take his time, to enjoy the princess’s body, so he might capture detailed memories for later in life. But the lust was too strong.

 _I_ **HAVE** _to fuck her,_ he thought to himself, his inflamed thoughts jumbled. _I_ **HAVE** _to fuck her!_

As if reading his mind, Thalámina arched her back just a little, and then spread her legs. Her pheromones quadrupled in strength.

And Jäger could not resist this invitation. Aside from full-on fornicating, his favorite sex act was pleasuring a lady with his fingers. Now his eager hand slid down her belly, appreciating the little canyon of muscle that was her abdomen. Her wet vagina awaited.

The scientist inside Jäger was fascinated by that vagina. Would a mermaid have a fully human vagina? How did the merpeople make babies, under the sea? Did each merman have a penis on the front of their fish-parts, and if so, was it exposed at all times? How did the mermaids allow the men to enter them, when they had no legs to spread?

None of these questions could be answered now. What Jäger discovered was that Thalámina did indeed have a womanly vagina, placed exactly between her thighs where it should be. He could feel its moistness as he pushed his fingers through her outer skins, and was delighted to feel its softness beyond.

Thalámina, her eyes still closed, cried out. “Ohhhhhh…!” she gasped. “Master!” Her voice trembled.

Possessed by the mermaid’s lust-magic, Jäger started stroking her. He started quickly, which usually was a mistake with his other female companions. But Thalámina arched her lovely back more and leaned onto his fingers.

“Faster!” she gasped.

Jäger obeyed, returning his lips to her nearest breast. He could feel the naked woman shaking beneath him, panting and making tiny little gasps as her breathing became uneven. The intensity of this woman was overpowering!

“Ohhh!” the mermaid cried loudly, and then her hips bucked. She pushed the back of her head against the ground, and Jäger felt his fingers bathed in warm liquid. She was blossoming.

“Now, Master,” Thalámina half-babbled, half-commanded. “Now, come inside me, come inside me now! I want to flower again!”

Jäger scrambled to do as she demanded. He pushed her legs aside, fit himself between her hips, and took only a second to align his penis. Then he was inside, thrusting as hard as his could. His cock was washed in an erotic pleasure he’d never known.

“ ** _OHHHHHHHH!!!_** ” screamed the sea-princess, gripping his shoulders with clawed fingers. Her legs, raised out to the sides, began to quiver and kick. She was cumming once more.

Jäger’s thoughts flew apart. Never knew his hips could move so quickly, or with such power. He was overwhelmed.

He wordlessly shouted as he came, causing the birds in the nearby trees to jump and scatter into the air.

Both still climaxing, the two lovers cried out, then began kissing one another like snarling animals. Their teeth clashed against one another like swords in battle. It was hard to say which of them were more aggressive.

And then…

Jäger rode out his orgasm, sad to feel it wane and then finish. His cock flushed with contentment, and immediately began retracting.

Meanwhile, Thalámina sighed, her own pleasure lingering. Her body relaxed, and she smiled sweetly. Her graceful arms wrapped around Jäger’s sweaty neck.

“Don’t pull out just yet, Master,” she murmured. “I like you inside me…”

But the scientist was spent.

“ ** _Sleep,_** ” he commanded her, gasping for air.

Instantly, Thalámina dropped into a deep trance. Her entire body went limp and her smile vanished. Her lifeless arms dropped away from Jäger’s neck and onto the forest floor.

*** *** ***

Perhaps three minutes passed.

Jäger lay atop the entranced Thalámina, his scattered wits slowly returning to him. In the distance, he could hear the waves on the beach and the harsh cry of an indignant seagull. The sun bathed his naked backside. The warmth felt good.

Grunting softly, Jäger pulled out of the limp mermaid. Every muscle he had trembled. His penis, already shrinking, was tingling in a very pleasant way. Mermaid cum, he dully noted, felt wonderful on the bare skin.

The scientist climbed off Thalámina. He lay on his back, then pulled the entranced princess into his arms.

And then the two simply lay there. She, still lost in her trance, and he, simply staring into the blue sky, making plans.

*** *** ***

Jäger felt like an emperor. After all, he’d just met and enslaved a mermaid! **_HE’D FUCKED A MERMAID!!!_** There was something almost poetic about this.

No, not poetic. **_Fitting_**. Thalámina was a wild creature of nature, an innocent, uncivilized noble savage, almost a character from Milton. She was powerful and alluring, a force of nature herself.

And yet, Jäger, the mere mortal, had captured her with hypnotism. With modern science. Man had outsmarted and conquered the natural world, once again. _Omnia Scientia Masters!_ It was **_fitting_** that Jäger had seduced the lovely Thalámina.

He would, of course, keep the mermaid as his slave and mistress. She’d remain in his bed, chained up with his mental commands, becoming horny and submissive whenever he snapped his fingers. She would never be allowed to wear clothes.

And Thalámina would not just serve Jäger’s sexual desires. No, he would take her to conferences and put her on display for his fellow scientists. He’d be **_Emmerich Jäger, Discoverer of Mermaids!_** The greatest scientific find of the Nineteenth Century! Why, he’d be guaranteed a place in the history books.

Princess Thalámina was about to bring him sexual heaven-on-earth and fame. Jäger grinned. Ah, the future looked bright, indeed.

…assuming he could bring Thalámina back to the human world.

Jäger’s smile faded.

After all, he couldn’t just show up at the ferryboat back to the _Megálo_ with a beautiful nude woman in tow. His fellow passengers were a pretty thick bunch, but even they were bound to notice his new companion.

So… how else could he keep Thalámina by his side? He could command her to swim to the _Megálo_ , and… then what? Haul her aboard with a rope when no-one was looking? That seemed silly.

The scientist scowled, realizing the scope of his problem. He could command the princess to meet him in Athens… but that was still a day or more away. The longer he and Thalámina were separated, the more likely it was that his hypnotic brainwashing would wear off.

Troubled, Jäger ran a hand over his face. He was suddenly tired…

*** *** ***

The scientist awoke with a jolt. He’d fallen asleep!

Annoyed with himself, Jäger looked about. The sun was behind him now, dipping beneath the treeline. He was sprawled in the sand, each limb pointing in separate direction.

Jäger grimaced, furious at himself. **_How could he have fallen asleep?_** What’s more-

 ** _Thalámina!_** Where was the princess?

With a stab in his heart, Jäger sat up quickly.

“Master?” a musical voice said beside him.

Jäger turned. There, to his left, was the mermaid. Her human legs had been transformed back into a fish tail, and now she lay on her belly, absently flopping that tail in the sand. Her golden hair flowed over her shoulders and back like a miniature cape.

Surprised, Jäger said stupidly, “You’re still here?”

“Yes,” Thalámina replied happily. A confused expression rippled across her beautiful face. “I tried to leave… but I can’t.” She frowned. “I don’t know why.”

Jäger exhaled, relived. His power over Thalámina was stronger than he’d guessed. She was still obeying the instructions to remain with him, hours after he’d first hypnotized her.

Well, if Thalámina had so little resistance to hypnotism, perhaps Jäger could risk leaving her for a few hours. He pressed two fingers to his temple. Instantly, Thalámina froze.

“You will return to the water,” the scientist commanded. “You will find the human passenger ship named _Megálo Korítsi_ ; it is nearby in these waters. But you will make sure no humans see you.

“Then,” he continued, “Once the sun sets and the stars appear, you will approach the ship and find me. I will bring you on board. You cannot resist these instructions.”

Her face expressionless and her blank eyes wide, Thalámina responded, “I obey, Master.”

*** *** ***

All the other passengers were waiting rather impatiently when Jäger returned to the fishing village. Even the puppy-love newlyweds shot him acid looks when he appeared.

“Er, sorry, everyone,” the scientist said gruffly. “My shoes and socks must have washed out to sea; I couldn’t find them.”

“Can we just get back to the ship now?” the ferryboat sailor grumbled. “The _Megálo_ is waiting for us.”

*** *** ***

By late afternoon, all passengers were back aboard the _Megálo Korítsi_. The old steamship fired up her engines and was soon chugging ahead at full speed. Her captain hoped to make up for lost time.

Jäger had planned to wait on the aft deck as the sun set. His admittedly-feeble plan was to wait until sundown. When he spotted Thalámina in the water, he’d toss her a rope, or perhaps bribe a deckhand to lower a ladder or something.

But that was still a few hours away. The scientist decided to return to his cabin and consult the hypnotism textbook he always carried with him. He lit his cabin’s oil lamp, set it atop his cabin’s tiny bookshelf, then settled back on his bunk to read.

*** *** ***

Jäger jolted awake. He’d fallen asleep! For the second time that day!

Jumping to his feet, the scientist cursed himself. **_How could he have been so stupid?_** He’d only rested his eyes for a moment…

 _What time was it?_ Jäger fumbled for his pocketwatch, which, luckily, he’d thought to wind.

The little clock said it was 10:18 in the evening. **_After sundown!_**

The stars had been out for more than two hours. Thalámina had been commanded to locate the _Megálo_ , then wait. But would she wait this long? Her hypnotic conditioning would have worn off by now, Jäger feared.

Panicking, the scientist leapt off his bunk, then hurried from his cabin. Perhaps if…

But he stopped short when he looked down the narrow corridor. There, in the dim oil lamplight, a woman was approaching him. A nude woman, completely wet and dripping seawater on the threadbare carpet. Her skin shimmered as she moved.

Jäger sucked in a quick breath. It was Thalámina! The mermaid walked with a completely blank expression, her arms hanging limply at her sides. She was in a trance, obeying her instructions.

His heart thumping, Jäger hurriedly ushered the hypnotized Thalámina into his little cabin. A hundred practical questions flooded his analytical brain. How had she boarded the ship? How had she located him? She’d obviously gotten below decks without anyone else noticing her – how?

 _Aw, who cares?_ the scientist thought as he eagerly latched the cabin door shut. Thalámina was in his clutches, once more! This time, she would not be allowed to part from him.

At the sound of the door shutting, the mermaid blinked once, then looked around. “Where…” she began, puzzled.

Jäger reached for a towel, then pressed two fingers to his temple. “You will dry yourself,” he commanded.

Thalámina blinked. “I obey, Master.”

She made a slight gesture, and suddenly her body and hair were completely dry. Jäger was stunned.

“Where am I?” the beautiful mermaid demanded, looking about the tiny cabin. She squinted at the oil lamp, still burning away on the top of the bookshelf. “What **_is_** that thing?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jäger responded gruffly. Now that Thalámina was in his clutches again, he gazed at her bare form in appreciation and lust.

 _She’s mine,_ he marveled. _All mine! Mine to do with as I please!_

Thalámina frowned at him, perhaps sensing his lecherous thoughts.

“I want more sex,” the man demanded. He replaced his fingers alongside his forehead. “You will get on my bed. You cannot get off it until I permit you to do so.”

“I obey, Master,” Thalámina replied. She obediently hopped onto the bunk, then knelt on both knees.

“Ha!” proclaimed Jäger, delighted. He began kicking off his shows and unbuttoning his fly. Should he command his woman to orally service him, then fuck her? Or fuck her, then force her to dance for him while he reclined and watched? He savored the possibilities.

Meanwhile, Thalámina was staring at her hands and knees. “I can’t move,” she protested.

“Of course not,” the scientist smirked. He peeled out of his socks. “Don’t worry, you’ll grow accustomed to it.”

“You…” Thalámina said, her brow wrinkling, “you are controlling me!”

Jäger nodded, unable to resist a wry grin. “What’s more,” he told her, placing two fingers on his temple yet again, “you must obey all my commands.”

“I obey, Master,” said Thalámina woodenly. “I must obey all your commands.”

“Yes,” agreed Jäger.

His victory was complete. As long as Thalámina was near him, he could put her back into hypnosis at any time, strengthening his hold over her mind. His power over would never fade away.

With relish, he continued removing his clothes, and was soon standing naked before the kneeling princess. She remained silent the entire time, watching him carefully.

“You might as well get used to this,” Jäger remarked, absently stroking himself and thinking ahead. He still wasn’t sure what sex act he wanted to do first. Perhaps…

Thalámina gazed up at him, her eyes dark and accusing.

“I can see you need an attitude adjustment,” said Jäger. “Its too late for you to resist my control, princess. I’m already too deep within your mind. But with a few quick words, you’ll soon adore me as completely as-“

To Jäger’s surprise, Thalámina shut her eyes. She seemed to be concentrating.

“You don’t have the mental defenses to resist, princess,” the scientist scoffed, climbing onto the bunk. “In fact-“

The _Megálo_ suddenly lurched, as if kicked. The tiny cabin tilted, causing Jäger’s travel trunk to slide across the floor and his few books to topple from the bookshelf. The oil lamp, still burning brightly, quickly followed. It smashed into the floor, shattering upon impact. The room plunged into utter darkness.

“What was that?” Jäger shouted, out of reflex. He had not finished climbing into the bunk, and now he teetered on the bedframe, gripping the walls for support. His heart was pounding.

Outside the cabin, the scientist could hear worried voices. A crash, then many screams. From up on deck, someone began furiously ringing an alarm bell.

The ship rocked again, this time even more violently than before. Jäger cried in alarm as he lost his balance, then fell to the floor.

All about the cabin were strewn tiny shards of hot glass, all that remained from the perished oil lamp. Now Jäger screamed in pain as he felt the little fragments pierce his skin.

He could see nothing. The air felt thick, and there was the sickening smell of burnt oil in his nostrils. The cabin trembled. The distant sound of metal groaning and creaking was starting to rise from up from the bowels of the ship.

In the corridor, Jäger could hear running footsteps and fists pounding against the doors. “Everyone to the top deck!” a steward cried. “Hurry, the ship is sinking! Hurry!!!”

Jäger struggled to his feet, but this only embedded more glass into his hands and the bottoms of his feet. The wounds bit at him. He screamed again.

Somewhere, in the darkness, he knew the mermaid was watching him. But he could not see her. She remained silent.

Cursing and fighting the agony, Jäger clawed for the doorknob. His traveling-trunk was blocking the door! The scientist shoved the trunk aside, wrenched open the door, then staggered out into the corridor.

The _Megálo_ moaned, and began to roll to the starboard. Somewhere, Jäger could hear roaring water! He had but minutes to escape.

Limping as fast as he could, he made for the exit stairway.

*** *** ***

The old liner was going down fast. The passengers, thankfully, had not been asleep, and now they scrambled to board the lifeboats. Jäger was one of the last to depart.

As the little boats pulled away, almost everyone stopped to stare as _Megálo Korítsi_ slipped beneath the dark waves.

Shivering under a blanket, Jäger seethed. Thalámina had outwitted him. Perhaps, even now, she was still on the cabin bunk, obeying his last posthypnotic command. But sooner or later, it would wear off. Her mind would return to her complete control. And then, she’d be lost forever.

Naked, humiliated, and in pain, Jäger cursed the fates. The natural world, it seemed, had triumphed.

*** *** ***


End file.
